Facebook's parent company is in trouble - Meta is suing Meta
According to the art company MetaX, which has been operating since 2010, Facebook's parent company does not have the right to use the Meta name.
FACEBOOK's parent company Meta Platforms is being sued over its name. Behind the suit is a small art company also called Meta.
Strictly speaking, it is MetaX LLC, which has been in business since 2010 and has used the simplified form of its name, META, as its business brand. The company says on its website that after Facebook changed its name, MetaX suffered considerable damage.
- On October 28, 2021, Facebook stole our META brand and name, for which we had poured blood, sweat, and tears for more than 12 years. After eight months of negotiations, the situation has not improved and we are forced to take the matter to court, the company writes on its website.
ACCORDING TO METAX, THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM stems from the scandals related to Facebook and, more broadly, Meta's business. According to MetaX, sharing the name is impossible because of them.
- We can no longer offer products or services under the META brand because consumers associate our services and products with Facebook and think that we have something to do with Facebook's toxic activities, MetaX claims.
MetaX has previously implemented art installations for, for example, various festivals and with large companies such as Google, HP, Spotify, and Twitter. According to the lawsuit, cooperation was also considered with the then Facebook in 2017, when a Facebook executive praised MetaX's creations as "phenomenal".
IN ITS LAWSUIT, METAX demands that the social media distribution company stop using the "Meta" name in business areas where MetaX is also active. In addition, the art company demands monetary compensation for the damages caused to its business.
MetaX has a valid patent for the use of the Meta name in the US, but the legal battle is likely to be long and difficult. The world's largest social media company standing on the opposite side is unlikely to bend easily, as Meta Platforms currently uses the Meta name for a huge number of different products.
