Deep-Tech Footwear & 3D Printing
How a Deep-Tech Startup From the United Arab Emirates Registered Its United States Trademark in Five Classes
- Nice Classes
- 5
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Registered at the USPTO
- Brand
- ELASTIUM
The Challenge
ELASTIUM, founded by Robert Karklinsh and based in the United Arab Emirates, is pioneering the use of 3D printing technology to create custom-fit footwear. Featured in publications like 3D Printing Industry and Develop3D, the company sits at the intersection of fashion technology, advanced manufacturing, and direct-to-consumer retail.
- As a deep-tech company, ELASTIUM's IP spans multiple domains: the physical footwear products, the proprietary software for custom fitting, the 3D printing manufacturing process, the retail distribution model, and the underlying R&D platform.
- A one-class or two-class filing would cover the shoe but leave out the software, the printing service, and the research behind it.
- Filing in all five classes lets ELASTIUM enter the United States with its name covered from software to shoe.
- With its founder based in the United Arab Emirates, ELASTIUM needed a United States attorney experienced in multi-class technology filings.
Covering every class keeps the ELASTIUM name with one owner across the value chain.
Our Approach
ELASTIUM's business runs from custom-fit software to 3D-printing manufacturing, so a single five-class application covered the brand across that whole chain rather than just the shoe.
Full Value Chain IP Mapping
We mapped ELASTIUM's entire business model, from 3D printing R&D to custom manufacturing to retail, against the Nice classification system. This showed that 5 classes were needed: Class 9 (software), Class 25 (footwear), Class 35 (retail), Class 40 (manufacturing), and Class 42 (R&D and design).
Deep-tech Trademark Search
We searched all 5 classes, paying special attention to the intersection of footwear and technology. The 3D-printed footwear space is emerging, so we also searched for trademarks that could create confusion in adjacent categories like athletic technology and smart wearables.
Coordinated 5-class Filing
We filed a single coordinated application covering all 5 Nice classes with precisely drafted goods and services descriptions for each. The filing covered: digital platforms and software (Class 9), footwear products (Class 25), online and offline retail (Class 35), 3D printing and custom manufacturing services (Class 40), and industrial design and technology research (Class 42).
Prosecution Strategy for Emerging Technology
Given the novelty of 3D-printed footwear, we prepared detailed arguments and evidence for prosecution, including press coverage from 3D Printing Industry and Develop3D, to demonstrate the legitimacy and distinctiveness of the ELASTIUM trademark in this emerging category.
The Results
The five-class ELASTIUM application registered on March 18, 2025, reaching from software through manufacturing to retail.
Nice Classes Protected
5
Business Domains Covered
Software, Footwear, Retail, Manufacturing, R&D
Status
Registered
Registration Date
March 18, 2025
With protection spanning the full value chain, ELASTIUM can enter the United States knowing its brand is covered for footwear, 3D printing services, retail operations, and technology platforms. A five-class registration also strengthens its position with investors, showing a serious IP strategy for a venture-backed startup.
"Rajatpreet is a gem. We needed to file a trademark application urgently, and he finished the job in one day. Highly recommend."
Robert, United Arab Emirates · Review on Trustpilot
Key Takeaways
Deep-tech companies need IP protection across their entire value chain: software, manufacturing services, R&D, and the product itself.
One coordinated multi-class filing keeps five classes in one file with one set of deadlines.
Press coverage and industry recognition (e.g., 3D Printing Industry, Develop3D) can serve as valuable supporting evidence during trademark prosecution.
Emerging technology categories like 3D-printed footwear require careful goods and services drafting, so the descriptions are broad enough for future growth but specific enough for USPTO approval.
International founders can register a United States trademark efficiently with a clear filing plan and a United States attorney.
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