How a UAE-Based Deep-Tech Startup Secured US Trademark Protection Across 5 Product & Service Categories

ELASTIUM, founded by Robert Karklinsh and based in the UAE, 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.
• Traditional single-class or dual-class filings would leave critical aspects of the business unprotected. Competitors could copy the brand name for their own 3D printing services or software platforms.
• The footwear industry is a $500B global market where brand names are aggressively contested. Without US protection across all five of those classes, ELASTIUM risked losing its brand identity in the world's most valuable consumer market.
• As a UAE-based founder with Latvian origins, ELASTIUM needed US-based trademark counsel experienced in complex multi-class technology filings.

A gap in any single class could let a competitor offer 3D printing services or software under the ELASTIUM name, eroding the brand across the value chain.

ELASTIUM's business runs from custom-fit software to 3D-printing manufacturing, so a single five-class application protected the brand across that whole chain rather than just the shoe.

At five Nice classes, the ELASTIUM filing is the widest in our case-study portfolio, reaching from software through manufacturing to retail.

With protection spanning the full value chain, ELASTIUM can confidently pursue US market entry knowing their brand is protected whether a competitor tries to use the name for footwear, 3D printing services, retail operations, or technology platforms. A 5-class filing also strengthens their position with investors, demonstrating serious IP strategy for a venture-backed startup.

"We needed protection that matched the ambition of our technology, across software, manufacturing, and retail. The 5-class strategy gave us the comprehensive US IP foundation that our investors and partners expect from a serious deep-tech venture."

Key Takeaways

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