Meta

An installation-art company META is suing Meta or Facebook for trademark violation

When Facebook changed its name to Meta in October, there were a few concerns that the company was planning to dominate the nascent metaverse. Meta is suing Meta for calling itself, Meta. Justin Bolognino, the founder and CEO of META, is suing Facebook’s parent company for trademark infringement and unfair competition and is seeking unspecified monetary damages

Not only did Facebook change its name, the suit argues, but it began swallowing up Meta’s business in the live VR event space, setting up installations at some of the very same venues where Bolognino’s Meta had previously mounted shows and even featuring some of the very same artists in those shows. The company added that it has been trying for eight months to negotiate with Facebook “in good faith” and it hasn’t led to anything. This Meta.is has no other option but to file a lawsuit against Meta or Facebook.

Meta is suing Meta for calling itself, Meta:

An installation-art company called META or Meta.is announced that it will be suing Meta or Facebook for trademark violation, alleging that Zuckerberg’s name change violated the smaller company’s established brand. Researchers have found that there aren’t many unclaimed words left to the trademark, leading to a lot of dumb corporate names in the world.

The small company META uses recent scandals that have rocked Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, including privacy concerns and the safety of minors on its platforms. Whether Meta will be able to successfully lay claim to its name, even against another company in the VR space, will reveal a lot about how narrow trademark rights have become. The lawsuit doesn’t specify the number of monetary damages.

MetaX said the rebrand had already led to confusion with consumers, and that one had asked whether one of its products was "a Facebook thing. Meta’s case against Facebook will end in a settlement, with Meta walking away with damages and perhaps a rebrand, and Facebook writing the payout off as a rounding error as it continues its existential pursuit of the VR business.

The company formerly known as Facebook is already well on its way to doing for VR precisely what it did for social media. These trademark applications cover separate marks for messaging, financial services, and social networks. There are also several trademarks claiming the Meta name for non-tech products, including a hard seltzer and manufacturer of prosthetic limbs.  Consumers are likely to mistakenly believe that Meta’s products and services emanate from Facebook and that Meta is somehow affiliated or associated with Facebook.