China rejects OpenAI's GPT-5 trademark application
OpenAI just got another "no" from China after trying to trademark "GPT-5."
This isn't their first rejection—China has already turned down names like "ChatGPT" and earlier GPT models.
All these decisions are still being appealed, but it shows how tough China is on foreign AI brands.
Why the rejections?
Regulators in both China and the US think "GPT"—which stands for generative pre-trained transformer—is just a tech description, not a unique brand name.
Because of that, OpenAI can't lock down exclusive rights to the term.
OpenAI is still not officially operating in China
Even though GPT-5 is out (and it's their fastest model yet), you can't use OpenAI services directly in mainland China or Hong Kong unless you go through VPNs or third-party apps.
The company keeps filing trademarks for all sorts of related tech, but so far, getting official recognition in China's crowded AI space is proving seriously tricky.