Are patent and trademark filings cool? Without getting too deeply nerdy (whoops, too late), for an information junkie like me, the answer is a resounding 'yes.'
While our favorite manufacturers file tantalizingly official patent and trademark documents in various offices all the time, there are several observations you can make about them as a category.
Although it's true that they don't always make it off the drawing board and into readily available products that you or I could go out and use, they can still serve as fascinating glimpses into the ideas that our faves were exploring at any given time. And if you're of an optimistic mind, there's something at least a little beautiful about that.
Likewise, if you're a puzzle enthusiast, and you enjoy putting pieces of information together, then patents and trademarks are absolutely where it's at. It's not a game for anyone seeking instant gratification, but if you're willing and able to gather the breadcrumb documents as they're dropped, you might find a picture at the end that's more than the sum of its parts. (Knowing when 'the end' is might be a separate problem, but that's for Tomorrow You to worry about.)
With all that context in mind, as Royal Enfield fans might recall, we learned about an entire slew of Enfield model name trademark filings back in August 2023. There were 12 names in total, including the Guerrilla 450.
Here in May 2024, we're living in a world where the all-new Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 exists. But looking from an August 2023 perch, that bike wouldn't go on to be launched officially until EICMA 2023 in November.
Since we now have our May 2024 perspective, it's through that lens we're able to view a new trademark filing from Enfield with the Intellectual Property India office.
From a design standpoint, it's an interesting logo. One that fits neatly with recent Enfield logos, including the Himalayan 450 and the Hunter 350. The application date is listed as April 23, 2024, but the fact that there's no Journal Number nor Journal Date listed means that it has yet to officially be approved and published. (That's not particularly surprising, since the application was only filed such a short time ago.)
The Logo Doesn't Ensure The Bike Is Coming, But It Makes It Seem More Likely
As we said previously when discussing the cache of trademarked model names, it's easy enough to file trademarks on model names just to protect them in case you want to use them in the future.
Maybe you won't go down that path after all, but if you're a company and you've protected those names, that also means no one else can use them. It works in your favor in a slightly less visible way, encouraging your competition to choose something else as a model name instead.
Developing a logo based on a trademark does make it seem more likely that an actual machine will follow. While it doesn't give us further information about the bike itself, it seems safe to assume that the Guerrilla 450 is likely to use the same engine introduced in the new Himalayan.
It could be tuned slightly differently, or it could not. We've seen Enfield develop several distinct machines around tested powerplants before; see also the entire J-platform 350cc range (Meteor 350, Classic 350, Hunter 350, and Bullet 350). Bookending the 350s, we also have the 650 Twins platform members: Continental GT 650, INT650, Super Meteor 650, and the new Shotgun 650 bobber.
From those two examples of range development based around a single powerplant, it's also reasonable to assume that the Guerrilla 450 won't be the only new 450 on its way in the coming months. As to what genres of bike the Guerilla and any others might occupy, we'll keep you posted as we learn more.
