Meta Faces Battle With Another Meta Who Says FB Rebrand ‘Obliterated’ Business

At the end of October last year, Facebook announced one of the most prominent rebrands to date, going from the name of its ubiquitous social media platform to ‘Meta’, as it looked to expand into the burgeoning digital landscape known as the metaverse. 

Shortly after the change, artist Thea-Mai Baumann found that her Instagram handle, which was under the username @metaverse, had been disabled for “pretending to be someone else.” Thankfully, she eventually was granted access back to the decade-old account. 

Now, six months on from that debacle, another company has come forward to file a lawsuit against Meta Platforms for trademark infringement, with MetaX LLC—the similarly-named firm—alleging the technology giant’s rebrand had “obliterated” its business. 

According to Reuters, the company’s founder, Justin “JB” Bolognino, had accused Facebook’s parent firm of not only putting its business “in jeopardy” but also impacting “the entire industry” and “the intellectual property rights of innovators” that first built it. 

As per CNN, MetaX LLC has been operating in the virtual and augmented-reality space long before Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for the virtual world came along, and has created immersive AR and VR installations at large-scale events, including Coachella and SXSW.

The firm, which was founded in 2010, is currently seeking an injunction for the behemoth to stop using the ‘Meta’ name in connection with related products, services, or activities, and an unspecified amount in damages. 

While Meta Platforms has yet to comment on the matter, it’s clear this is one of urgency to MetaX LLC, fearing that it will be driven out of the marketplace, and that the public has already mistakenly believed the two companies are affiliated. 

[via CNN and Reuters, cover image via Waingro | Dreamstime.com]