Quick take:
- A company called Meta is suing Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta for trademark violation.
- Meta.is claims Facebook’s name change to Meta infringed on its branding.
- The art installation company claims its business has existed for more than 12 years.
When Facebook rebranded to Meta Platforms last October, it was one of the company’s biggest decisions regarding its future. Mark Zuckerberg stated at the time that the global social media giant was pivoting to the metaverse, with the branding change meant to signal its commitment to the course.
Meta has since paid significant penalties for the small victories it has achieved so far. The company committed to investing $10 billion in its metaverse campaign last year, resulting in a significant fall in profits for the fourth quarter of 2021.
And now, Meta is being sued by another company called Meta for infringing on its branding. Meta.is claims that Facebook’s name change to Meta has violated its trademark. The company announced on Tuesday its plans to sue the social networking conglomerate after attempts to settle the matter privately failed to materialise.
“On October 28, 2021, Facebook seized our META mark and name, which we put our blood, sweat, and tears into building for over twelve years,” reads a post on Meta.is’ website. “Today, after eight months of trying to negotiate with Facebook in good faith to no avail, we were left with no choice but to file a lawsuit against them.”
Meta.is argues that the several privacy lawsuits plaguing Meta Platforms have made it impossible to share the name.
“Consumers are likely to mistakenly believe that [Meta.is’] goods and services emanate from [Meta Platforms] and that [Meta.is] is associated with the toxicity that is inextricably linked with [Meta Platforms].”
Although the smaller established art installation company holds a valid trademark for the name, it could still find it difficult to gain anything from the lawsuit. Facebook has filed several trademarks associated with its business since rebranding to Meta.
Meta’s stock has suffered significantly since officially adopting the new name. In May Zuckerberg warned investors to expect more cash burning before the metaverse dream becomes a reality.
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