Meta is a Greek prefix word indicating a post or follow-up action; it’s also the new brand that Facebook’s umbrella corporation chose last year.
Since then, the obvious “metaverse” shortcut has been used and abused worldwide and many companies have adopted “meta” as part of their corporate name.
One of them claims prior rights to the Meta brand, however, and is suing Facebook/Meta, Inc.
According to the press release, Meta, operating from the domain name Meta.is, has been using the Meta brand since 2010:
Meta, a small business operating in the immersive and experiential technology industry since 2010, today filed a lawsuit against Facebook.
For 12 years, META has powered the types of experiences and products that Facebook is now building and has served the same creators and consumers that Facebook is now targeting. META’s lawsuit, filed by Pryor Cashman LLP, alleges that Facebook unlawfully seized the META mark and name — willfully violating META’s trademark rights and engaging in egregious acts of unfair competition.
The Meta company tried to negotiate with Facebook/Meta, Inc. for “eight months” and in “good faith” but that led nowhere.
The lawsuit alleges that Facebook infringed Meta’s federally registered trademarks and common law trademark rights, and engaged in egregious acts of unfair competition.
More information here.
