LG Electronics is planning to launch its virtual companion animal business in the United States, and to kickstart the project, it has applied to trademark a range of items related to the said line of trade in the country. In particular, the South Korean electronics company submitted an application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to trademark “PETAVERSE.”

LG Electronics indicated in its trademark application that PETAVERSE is platform software that will offer unique user experiences involving companion animals in the virtual reality setting or the Metaverse. According to Business Korea, users will be able to interact and communicate with each other through the virtual communities that will be built by the company.

Everyone in the virtual world can enjoy playing games together or watching videos related to companion animals. They can also give advice or tips to others on how to raise their virtual companion animals.

Business observers think that LG Electronics filed to trademark PETAVERSE to get it before any other companies do. It wants to act fast while it is still in the process of exploring other businesses that it can venture into. They opined that there is a chance that the company will soon be jumping into the virtual companion animal market.

In fact, LG Electronics has already launched a Habitat Zone in South Korea. This virtual space was built on the “Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH)” social game that was published by Nintendo and this was last year. At that time, the company said that the virtual worlds would allow players to join LG and Habitat Korea to provide assistance to communities that need help.

“LG Home Island in Animal Crossing the Horizon features three themed zones where players can explore the company’s state-of-the-art appliances and engage in fun missions,” the company said in a press release. “In the Cleaning Maze Clothing Care Zone, fans will see LG’s washing machine, dryer and Styler wardrobe management system while guiding their avatar through the maze course challenge.”

Based on the data from Korea Intellectual Property Office, LG Electronics ranks third in terms of Metaverse-related patent applications from 2012 to 2021. It has filed 66 trademark applications while Samsung Electronics placed first with a total of 262 applications.

LG Electronics’ PETAVERSE is apparently a combination of “pets” and the “metaverse”, and the concept for this is for users to raise virtual pet companions in the virtual world that is designed like the real world.