Clawdbot, Claude, and the Importance of Trade Marks in Tech

Like many vibe coders, I love using Claude by Anthropic. It has truly changed the AI industry. I live and breathe Claude these days. Its powers are so addictive that hours of work feel like just one.

A couple of days ago, I saw posts all over social media about Clawdbot. The hype was unavoidable. Clawdbot is an open-source AI employee or personal agent that runs locally on your computer or a private server. It was created by an independent developer in the open-source community. Its appeal is that users have full control over their data and workflows. But there are security considerations because it runs on local systems and interacts with sensitive information, so users need to be careful with safeguards to avoid data leaks or unauthorised access.

The first time I saw the hype around Clawdbot, I assumed it was a new product from Anthropic, similar to their recent announcement of Claude Cowork. The name is close enough to cause confusion, and I was not alone in making that assumption.

This morning, I read that Anthropic sent a Cease and Desist letter to Clawdbot’s owner, asking them to stop using Clawdbot as a trade mark. Anthropic has a registered trade marks in both the U.S and in Australia.

Some people have said it is not nice of Anthropic to send a Cease and Desist. But I think it makes sense. Clawdbot acts as a badge of origin and creates a real risk of confusion. Users are likely to associate Clawdbot with Anthropic, and I was guilty of this myself. Even though Clawd and Claude differ by just one letter, they sound almost the same and immediately make you think of Anthropic.

The bigger problem is that if anything goes wrong with Clawdbot, like a bug, security flaw, or data issue, users could mistakenly think Anthropic is responsible. That is the exact situation trade marks are meant to prevent.

As a result of the Cease and Desist, Clawdbot has been renamed Moltbot.

But the reality is that Clawdbot went viral and most people still know it by its original name.

The key takeaway for tech organisations is clear. Do your due diligence before launching a product. Check trade marks, seek protection for your brand early, and avoid situations where confusion could damage your reputation or put users at risk.

There has been another update. Clawdbot has rebranded again and is now called OpenClaw. This ongoing saga just proves the point. Without a secure trade mark you are constantly at risk of having to change your identity. It causes confusion and wastes momentum. Whether it is Clawdbot, Moltbot or OpenClaw the lesson remains the same. Secure your brand first.