Hold Up, Zuckerberg: This Startup Applied For 'Meta' Trademark Before Facebook
Facebook, now under the aegis of Meta, may be running into a trademark battle over its new name soon.?While Zuckerberg announced the name-change for Facebook's parent company last week, the Meta trademark was already being pursued by another company.
A US-based startup called "Meta PC" filed for Meta trademark in August. In anticipation of a legal battle, Meta founder Zach Shutt and cofounder Joe Darger told TMZ that they might be willing to let the trademark go if Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg pays them $20 million.
The trademark was filed by Meta PC in August this year, but the company had been using the brand for its products since November 2020. The startup sells disk drives, keyboards, and other computer paraphernalia.
Facebook filed for Meta trademark on October 28, according to the filing on US Patents and Trademark Office. So, who gets the trademark? We don't know yet.?Meta PC may have the benefit for it applied first, but it is still unclear what the future holds for Meta.
Regardless, a trademark doesn't imply that the company owns the name and can prevent others from using it. Even then, neither of the filings have been approved yet, listed as "live" on the patent portal.
A change in name at this juncture naturally comes with such problems. For instance, the company couldn't keep change their Instagram handle to "Meta" which was already in use by a motorbike magazine. So, Zuckerberg had to go with "@wearemeta."
Facebook has also bought the rights to the domain meta.com, Business Insider reported.
What do you think about this little snag in Facebook's Meta ambitions? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.?For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.??
