That rebrand went a little too smoothly for Facebook, as another company named Meta is suing the social media giant for stealing its name and ruining its brand.
At the end of 2021, Facebook made the world-shattering announcement that it would be going through a massive rebrand. The new name — Meta Platforms — was supposed to better reflect the future aspirations of the company, which are largely focused on the metaverse.
However, one immersive art company is taking issue with the name-change, mostly because it has completely upended the brand amidst confusion about their own name.
Meta Platforms Sued by Meta.is
According to the website for Meta.is, the company is officially filing a lawsuit against Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) for infringing on its trademark for the name.
“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. The lawsuit alleges that Facebook infringed META’s federally registered trademarks and common law trademark rights and engaged in egregious acts of unfair competition.”
The official complaint is also available on the site, providing some legal jargon to go along with the scathing message from the founders of Meta.is. The complaint states that no one will do business with the company anymore, because the brand is “now infected by the toxicity that is inextricably linked with Facebook.”
Can Meta.is Beat Meta?
It seems like an impossible task. A small immersive art company taking on arguably the biggest company in the world in court rarely works out in favor of the little guy. However, Meta.is certainly has a case, as the company does have a valid and registered trademark for the name.
Still, given Meta’s vast array of apps and services, the case won’t be nearly that cut and dry. Plus, Meta’s got more than enough resources to make sure Meta.is won’t have an easy time getting what’s owed to them.
The lawsuit isn’t just about Meta.is getting what’s owed to it either. It’s safe to assume the case could have some far-reaching implications for the future of tech, at least that’s what the Meta.is founders would have you believe.
“This lawsuit is bigger than our company. The outcome will have major implications for the protection of intellectual property rights as the Web2 and Web3 ecosystems evolve.”
There are plenty of other social media platforms that know the wrath of Facebook is not to be trifled with, but it looks like Meta.is might actually have a case in this lawsuit. Come back for more updates as it unfolds.
