Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) have become a focal point in the tech industry, but the company might soon face a significant legal challenge. Reports suggest that Google may be required to rename its AI chips due to a trademark dispute.
Tachyum’s Trademark Dispute Over ‘TPU’
As Google’s custom silicon, TPUs have gained considerable attention, especially in AI applications. However, Tachyum, a California-based AI/HPC solutions provider, has stepped into the fray by challenging Google’s use of the TPU name. They have taken their case to the U.S. Trademark Office, asserting that Google’s filing came years after Tachyum’s own trademark protection. If Tachyum’s challenge is successful, it could compel Google to rebrand its AI chips.
Tachyum is requesting Google to stop using TPU as a part of a descriptor for its Google TPU and will petition the U.S. Trademark Office to defend its legal claims to the term.
– Tachyum
Tachyum’s Promising Technologies
Although Tachyum hasn’t yet brought mainstream products to the market, its innovative concepts have generated buzz. Their recent development of 2nm Prodigy chips, boasting up to 1024 64-bit cores on a single socket, has drawn comparisons to NVIDIA’s Rubin Ultra GPU platform. The company claims its Prodigy platform will surpass 1000 PFLOPs in inference, outstripping NVIDIA’s 50 PFLOPs. While these announcements remain theoretical, they certainly appear promising.
Future Implications for Google
Google has yet to officially respond to the trademark claims by Tachyum, and the resolution of such disputes can be a lengthy process. Nevertheless, if the U.S. Trademark Office sides with Tachyum, Google might face significant challenges. Whether Tachyum will relinquish its trademark claim or negotiate a settlement with Google remains to be seen, but the outcome could significantly impact Google’s AI chip branding.