Pepsi-Cola received its first U.S. trademark registration in 1903.
Caleb Bradham had developed the drink in New Bern, North Carolina, and initially sold it through his pharmacy. After the beverage became known as Pepsi-Cola, the name was formalized for commercial use as the business expanded beyond local fountain sales.
Trademark registration helped protect the name as Pepsi-Cola entered a more competitive national marketplace. It was one part of a broader process that included bottling arrangements, advertising, distribution, and the creation of a recognizable package.
The date is distinct from the drink’s creation and from the company’s later financial difficulties. Pepsi-Cola originated in the late nineteenth century, while the 1903 registration records an important legal milestone for the brand name. Later Pepsi branding shortened the public-facing name to Pepsi.