In October last year Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company was shifting focus significantly to build persistent digital ecosystems in the metaverse, also choosing to change the name of the tech giant to Meta.

While many took issue with the name change given how entrenched several Facebook services are, it looked like Zuckerberg and co. would be plowing ahead full steam.

Those plans, however, may have hit a major snag as another firm called META or Meta.is is suing Meta for trademark infringement.

The other company, which specialises in creating immersive and innovative art installations, alleges Facebook stole its name because it was a lesser known or smaller company, despite the fact that it has been in some form of operation for more than a decade.

“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,” Justin Bolognino, Nick Sciorra, and META, wrote in a note on its home page.

“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’,” they add.

At the time of writing, Facebook is yet to officially comment on the matter. While we await word, Meta.is claims the similarity in name could prove damaging for its own brand, given the several high profile scandals that have occurred at Facebook over the years.

Added to this is a desire to stand up to a big tech firm that seemingly flouted the law and did as it saw fit.

“This lawsuit is bigger than our company. The outcome will have major implications for the protection of intellectual property rights as the Web2 and Web3 ecosystems evolve,” continues META.

“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,” it concludes.

Should the lawsuit prove successful, Meta’s first year under a new name could prove a disastrous one.

[Image – Photo by Dima Solomin on Unsplash]