Skoda thinks that the North American market has potential and the brand is busy trademarking its nameplates here to make sure it is ready for what the future holds. 

Volkswagen-owned Skoda has now trademarked 12 different nameplates with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) since May 31, with the latest batch of names including Spaceback, Rapid, Fabia and H-Tec. The brand has also begun protecting its names with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.

Companies will often trademark names just to protect their assets, even if it’s in another country. But we spoke to Skoda representatives and they admit that the North American market is attractive.

“ŠKODA is continuously analyzing the situation on a number of markets and regions, which in the long term might potentially be attractive for the brand,” said Tomas Kubik from Skoda corporate communications. “North America including the U.S. market is one of those regions. However, to date, no decisions or resolutions have been made.”

Volkswagen’s current scandal has sparked rumors that Skoda could launch in the U.S., bringing a new name and face to the brand in an effort to get out from under the black cloud of its diesel emissions scandal.

This article originally appeared on autoguide.com