Tesla, SpaceX Seek Declaratory Ruling on Terafab Trademark

Tesla Inc., SpaceX, and SpaceXAI filed a declaratory judgment action in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on September 16, 2026, against TERA-print LLC. The complaint asks the court to rule that use of the name Terafab for a planned semiconductor manufacturing facility does not infringe TERA-print's registered Tera-Fab trademark.

The Musk companies applied for three Terafab trademarks with the USPTO in May 2026 covering semiconductor chips and related services. TERA-print, which holds a 2021 federal registration for Tera-Fab on desktop photolithography printers used in bioengineering, sent a cease-and-desist letter in May claiming likely confusion. The plaintiffs argue no reasonable consumer would associate the large-scale chip plant with TERA-print's specialized lab equipment.

TERA-print stated it had discussed settlement as recently as early September but will now defend its rights. The dispute centers on whether the marks are confusingly similar given the parties' differing goods, customers, and commercial contexts.

Sources: https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/tesla-spacex-sue-nanotech-company-over-terafab-name-2026-09-16/ https://www.law360.com/articles/2526068/tesla-spacex-say-terafab-plant-doesn-t-infringe-startup-s-tm