The smaller company says it has been trying to negotiate with Mark Zuckerberg’s company for the past eight months, but has been unsuccessful.
When Facebook changed its name to Meta last October, there was some concern that the social networking company was planning to dominate the nascent metaverse. But there is one company that has been affected by this naming issue, and now the matter is officially going to court.
An installation art company called Meta (hereafter will use its website name Meta.is) announced Tuesday, July 19, that it is suing Meta (hereafter will use the name). Facebook) for trademark infringement. It also alleges that changing the name of CEO Mark Zuckerberg violated the smaller company’s established trademark.
“On October 28, 2021, Facebook took over our trademark and name META, which we have built with our blood, sweat, and tears over 12 years,” a post on the page reads. Web of smaller companies share. “Today, after eight months of trying to negotiate with Facebook in good faith to no avail, we have no choice but to file a lawsuit against them.”
Also according to Meta.is, because of issues related to many of Facebook’s privacy scandals, the company believes that the two cannot share the same name. “We can no longer offer goods and services under the META trademark,” the complaint said, “because consumers may mistakenly believe that Meta’s goods and services come from Facebook and Meta. related to Facebook.”
Although this smaller company is holding a valid trademark for its name, it could still face an uphill battle in court over a wide variety of applications with different brands. Facebook has done since officially changing the name. These include separate brands for messaging, social networking, and financial services. There are also a number of brands that also claim to use the Meta name for non-tech products, including carbonated drinks and a manufacturer of prosthetic limbs.
Facebook (Meta) did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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