Social media giant Meta is being sued by a small installation art company also called META for trademark violations claiming it has been ‘crushed’ by Facebook’s rebrand
- New York art tech firm operating since 2010 is suing Facebook owner Meta
- The company says it has been ‘crushed’ by Facebook’s rebrand last year
- They claim Facebook knew of their existence after discussing a partnership
A small installation art company operating since 2010 named Meta is suing Facebook’s parent company Meta for ‘egregious’ trademark violation.
The local business based in New York told a Manhattan federal court it had been ‘crushed’ by the rebrand to Facebook and claims its ‘ability to operate as Meta has been eviscerated’.
The firm, which creates ‘multi-sensory live experiences’ using immersive VR technologies, claims Mark Zuckerberg’s tech giant ‘seized’ their name which they had poured ‘blood, sweat, and tears into building for over twelve years’.
A small installation art company operating since 2010 named Meta (pictured) is suing Facebook’s parent company Meta for ‘egregious’ trademark violation
Facebook rebranded to Meta Platforms in October, with the new name based on the ‘metaverse’
Facebook rebranded to Meta Platforms in October, with the new name based on the ‘metaverse’, a shared virtual realm which it believes will succeed mobile internet.
But the New York-based firm registered for its trademark in 2016 and it was granted in 2020, according to the lawsuit.
They said they tried to negotiate with the Facebook owners for eight months but have now had to resort to legal action.
The smaller Meta requested a court order that blocks the social media company from using ‘Meta’ for goods and services that overlap, as well as an unspecified amount of money damages.
They also claim the two companies’ symbols are ‘conceptually identical’ because they both use symmetrical shapes to form the letter M.
Their founder, Justin ‘JB’ Bolognino, said in a statement that Meta Platforms had ‘not only put our business in jeopardy, but that of the entire industry and the intellectual property rights of the innovators that have helped build it.’
Justin ‘JB’ Bolognino said in a statement that Meta Platforms had ‘not only put our business in jeopardy, but that of the entire industry’
The local business based in New York told a Manhattan federal court it had been ‘crushed’ by the rebrand
The claimants say Facebook had known of their existence before the rebrand because they exchanged emails with senior employees.
The company said in the lawsuit it had discussed a potential partnership with Facebook in 2017, and that a Facebook executive had praised one of their experiences that year as ‘amazing’ and ‘spectacular.’
They said the social media platform’s new focus on the metaverse and related VR and augmented-reality technology overlaps with its business and that it has started providing similar ‘immersive experiences’ at some of the same places where it hosted its exhibits, including Coachella and South by Southwest.
They said the rebrand will drive it out of the marketplace, and that it has already caused people to mistakenly believe the companies are affiliated.
The firm claims Mark Zuckerberg’s tech giant ‘seized’ their name which they had poured ‘blood, sweat, and tears into building’
The company said in a statement yesterday: ‘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.
‘Facebook talks a big game about supporting creators, but the proof is in their actions.
‘If they’re willing to blatantly seize our IP and use it in the same spaces we have operated in for more than a decade, we can’t imagine what’s coming when they further saturate our industry and dominate the ‘metaverse’.’
Zuckerberg’s company has not yet reacted to the lawsuit.
The art installation company continued: ‘This case is about Facebook taking accountability for its actions and committing to move forward ethically and equitably in the revolutionary industry that we have all, together, created.
‘This will be an arduous journey, and we appreciate your support.’
In December, Facebook paid $60million a South Dakota bank named Meta Financial Group to secure the name rights.
Meta Financial said in regulatory filing that a Delaware company called Beige Key LLC agreed to acquire the worldwide rights to its company names for $60million in cash. It did not disclose who the owner of Beige Key was.
A Meta Platforms (Facebook) spokesman later confirmed: ‘Beige Key is affiliated with us and we have acquired these trademark assets.’
Source: Read Full Article
