US trademark laws ensure that Moto Guzzi’s California will make a comeback.
The California name has been a staple of the Moto Guzzi brand since the early 1970s but the most recent variation on the theme – the California 1400 cruiser launched in 2013 – dropped from the range in 2020 when its 1380cc ‘big block’ engine wasn’t upgraded to meet new European emissions limits.
Now Moto Guzzi has applied for a new trademark on the name in the US and while it’s not unusual for companies to retain the rights to unused trademarks just in case they decide to revive them, recent changes to American intellectual property laws aim to cut down on that practice. Under those changes, companies aiming to get trademark protection must state a genuine intention to use that trademark in the near future.
The basis of the application is that the company already owns rights to the name in other territories. It cites Europe where its trademark was renewed in 2022 and expires in 2032, and that it “plans to use the name again”.
The application filed with US trademark authorities specifically states that “the applicant has a bona fide intention, and is entitled, to use the mark in commerce on or in connection with the identified goods/services” – goods that in this instance are motorcycles and components related to motorcycles.
At the moment there’s no specific details on the next-gen California, but Moto Guzzi has always been clear that the V100 platform will be used across multiple models.
WORDS: BEN PURVIS