Every brand’s trademark is a valuable investment that protects the business’s identity and uniqueness. A trademarked name of a brand cannot be used y any other organization without the trademark owner’s permission. If any organization is found to be using someone else’s trademark, the trademark owner has all the rights to file a lawsuit against them for trademark infringement. Likewise, a dispute has arisen between two organizations, the Meta and MyMeta over the trademark ‘meta.’ Read on to learn more about the trademark battle between Meta and MyMeta.
Overview of Trademark Dispute Between Meta and MyMeta
The organization MyMeta (a blockchain and cryptocurrency-based startup) has filed an opposition lawsuit with the Trademark Office against Meta, formerly known as Facebook for the trademark “Meta”. The reason behind the opposition is the use of the term “Meta” by the Meta platforms as a part of their rebranding could create confusion among customers and affect the identity of MyMeta. However, Meta attempted to dismiss the opposition filed by MyMeta claimin that the opposition was without any proper justification.
Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Platform’s CEO, announced a rebranding of their platforms and services in 2021 as an initiative to concentrate on the development of the metaverse. As a result of this initiative to transform digital engagement in the future days, Facebook has decided to change its name to Meta. However, the organization MyMeta considered that the use of “Meta” as the organization’s name could be more generic and might affect its brand identity. This is why MyMeta raised opposition against the Meta platform’s trademark application for using the term “Meta” for their services.
Meta’s Reaction to This Opposition and the Trademark Office’s Decision
As a reply to this opposition filed by MyMeta, Meta stated that the opposition was filed without any validity and tried to dismiss the opposition. However, the Trademark Office didn’t agree with Meta’s efforts to dismiss the opposition filed by MyMeta. The Trademark Office declared that MyMeta’s opposition is legit and can proceed further as the organization believes that the usage of the term “Meta” can affect their brand identity. As a result of this Trademark Office’s decision, Meta Platform’s attempt to obtain exclusive ownership of the trademark “Meta” is hugely affected.
Legal Proceedings of this Trademark Dispute
The trademark battle is still going on between the Meta platform and MyMeta and has not I have not received a solution yet. Following the Meta Platform’s bid to dismiss the opposition filed by MyMeta, the legal proceedings are still occurring, and both parties are expecting a decision regarding the ownership of the trademark “Meta.” As both parties are involved in this conflict, the legal proceedings might affect both of the organizations. The Meta Platform might experience challenges in its rebranding steps, and the difficulty in obtaining the sole authority of the trademark “Meta” might affect the platform’s metaverse transition. On the other hand, MyMeta’s opposition to the Meta Platform has been supported by the Trademark Office and hence, MyMeta may succeed in the legal proceedings and can expect a favorable outcome. As a result of this, the dispute continues and both parties are trying to strengthen their concerns. Both Meta Platform proceeds with transforming their brand name to Meta and MyMeta proceeds with strong opposition to the same. Hence, both parties are going through legal proceedings and are actively anticipating a favorable outcome for themselves.
Key Takeaways from Worldwide Trademark Disputes
If you are a business owner, trying to trademark your brand name, be sure to conduct proper research. Make sure that your trademark is not a generic term and does not resemble an already existing trademark. If your trademark comes under the category of generic terms, your brand identity will be diluted over the years and people won’t be able to recognize your individuality. If your trademark is the same or similar to any other trademark already owned by another brand, you might end up paying royalties to them and your trademark has the chance of getting canceled by the Trademark Office.
Conclusion
From the trademark disputes happening across the world, we come to know that it is essential to conduct proper research before proceeding with trademark registration. Choosing a distinctive trademark for your brand will promote the development of your business and also prevent your trademark from becoming generic over the years. Also, the timely renewal of your trademark is important to preserve its validity for eternity. From the process of trademark search to the completion of the trademark application, you will feel at ease if you have an IP firm by your side. Brealant is a successful IP firm helping thousands of businesses protect their brand identity by assisting them throughout the process of trademark registration. Contact us right now to book a free demo session!