New LG Trademark Application Suggests Big Ambitions in Self-Driving Vehicles

A new LG Electronics trademark application at the Patent and Trademark Office suggests further proof that the company wants to be a big player in components for autonomous cars. LG seeks to register the trademark “Lightminum” for a class of goods and services related to self-driving vehicles, including vehicle traction control systems, “sensors for use in the control of engines” and vehicle “braking devices” and systems, said the application (serial number 87070709), filed June 14. LG also wants to reserve use of Lightminum for a range of other possible goods and services in consumer and industrial applications, including battery chargers for mobile phones, tablets, headphones, digital signage and data-processing equipment, the application said. LG filed a similar application June 13 (application number 4020160044102) with South Korean trademark authorities, the PTO application said. “While I can’t comment on the trademark application specifically, it’s no secret that LG is working on autonomous car technologies," spokesman John Taylor emailed us Wednesday. For example, LG’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems technologies "support autonomous driving systems," Taylor said. "The vehicle components business represents one of LG’s fastest growing areas, and our core technologies and open-standards philosophy position LG to be a strong player in autonomous vehicle components.”