MetaCompany operates from the domain Meta.Company, using a keyword dot TLD domain “hack” to display its brand. Very crafty.
Following the announcement by Facebook that they are launching Meta, an umbrella company that will leverage, among other projects, its various social platforms, the domain’s lander was updated.
In a message to the metaverse, Meta Company alleges that Facebook lawyers sought to acquire their name for an amount that did not represent its valuation. The approach was made via third party negotiators, as it’s customary:
At least two law firms were involved: One in the USA that requested our trademark and domains (Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton), and the other in Europe aggressively contacting trying to get us to sell our domain registrations (Hogan Lovells).
They couldn’t buy us, so they tried to bury us by force of media. We shouldn’t be surprised by these actions — from a company that continually says one thing and does another. Facebook and its operating officers are deceitful and acting in bad faith, not only towards us, but to all of humanity.
Nate Skulic, founder of MetaCompany, alleges that Facebook committed “trademark infringement” somehow. But is that part accurate?
Meta.Company vs Meta.com – Photo by Wilmer Martinez on Unsplash
Chicago-based Meta LLC registered the mark METACOMPANY with the USPTO in 2016, two years after the domain’s registration. To achieve that, they provided a screenshot of their web site; essentially their About Us page.
It’s quite intriguing how that page demonstrates use of the mark in interstate commerce, but once the USPTO accepted it, the mark was registered a little over six months later.
Which mark?
METACOMPANY.
That’s not “Meta” or “Meta Company” and in our opinion there is no infringement by Meta.com, the umbrella company that owns Facebook.
There’s no chance Meta.com would be confused for MetaCompany; on the other hand, perhaps MetaCompany should acquire MetaCompany.com, a domain registered in 2002 that predates the registration of their mark by 14 years.
