MacPaw did it back in 2020, or why the name Gemini AI turned into brand lawsuits for Google

Google filed for its Gemini brand, under which a powerful multimodal artificial intelligence model now operates, much later.

It was only on September 28, 2023, that Google applied for registration of the Gemini TM with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in the software and development category. And on February 8, 2024, Google publicly and officially renamed its AI chatbot from Bard to Gemini.

MacPaw in Ukraine also filed an application for the Gemini brand six years ago for the class of goods and services «Computer software; utilities». Although, it is not known what happened to this application. We reached out to the founder of this company, Oleksandr Kosovan, on Facebook Messenger for comment. However, we have not received a response yet.

If you look at the Gemini brand as a whole, you’ll see that Google has had some intellectual property issues with it. This is because it’s a very similar word. Gemini is the Latin name for the constellation Gemini and the third sign of the zodiac. In Greek and Roman mythology, it represents the twin brothers Castor and Pollux.

Therefore, even before Google, the Gemini brand was registered by various companies. For example, back in 1993, the Italian GEMINI TECHNOLOGIES SRL received international registration of this TM. It is a manufacturer of electronic security systems. The company mainly develops and manufactures anti-theft systems, alarms and immobilizers for vehicles.

In 2024, a small San Francisco company called Gemini Data (founded in 2013) filed a lawsuit against Google in federal court. The company claimed that it owned the rights to the «Gemini» trademark and accused the corporation of trademark infringement and unfair competition. Gemini Data was allegedly developing an AI assistant platform. What happened next is unknown.

Another trial began in 2026. P2B Trading Co. (New Jersey), which has been producing speakers, headphones, and other audio equipment under the Gemini brand since 1974, claimed infringement. Its trademark has been officially registered in the United States since 1998 — that is, before Google itself was founded. The conflict erupted because Google decided to expand the use of its Gemini AI to consumer electronics. In particular, the tech giant announced the release of the Google Home with Gemini smart speaker in the spring of 2026 and the integration of AI into Pixel headphones. But so far, the court has sided with Google in this case.

One way or another, brands like Nano Banana are much safer from a legal point of view. Because it’s unlikely that anyone could have registered such a name before Google.