First, it’s worth remembering that Nvidia has a very specific policy when it comes to naming its products. Each new graphics card receives a name derived from the surname of a person who is not only associated with the technology or computer industry but has also made a name for themselves in that field. This is why we can find names such as Kepler, Tesla, Ampere, or Fermi among Nvidia’s products.
And this brings us to the manufacturer’s new products, which are to be named NVIDIA Ada Lovelace (intended for the consumer market) and NVIDIA Hopper (intended for the AI and HPC markets). And it is the latter name that is causing the problem. Nvidia decided to trademark the “Hopper” designation for itself back in 2020, but it turned out that the same name is already in use and registered by another company, namely Dish Network, which filed an objection in this matter on April 23, 2021.
According to the opposing party, Nvidia’s use of the Hopper trademark would constitute an infringement of their registered trademarks, namely Hopper, Hopper Duo, Hopper Plus, or Hopper Go, which are used in connection with the telecommunications services they provide. Interestingly, Dish Network is one of the largest television corporations in the US, with nearly 12 million customers.
However, what is interesting is that the legal dispute in this case has not yet fully begun, as both companies are in negotiations to reach an amicable settlement. The court handling the case has already received the fifth request to suspend the proceedings due to the parties’ desire to reach a settlement. The case will almost certainly be resolved in the near future, as the period of the last suspension expires on February 22, 2022, and Nvidia wants to present its new chips under the new name at the GTC 2022 trade show, which is scheduled to take place in March 2022.
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