domains Meta.Company accuses Facebook of stealing Meta name and livelihood

[Lox]

Meta.Company

For the last three months, Facebook lawyers have been hounding us to sell our name to them. We refused their offer on multiple bases. Namely, the low offer wouldn’t cover the costs of changing our name, and we insisted on knowing the client and intent, which they did not want to disclose.

At least two law firms were involved: One in the USA that requested our trademark and domains (Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton), and the other in Europe aggressively contacting trying to get us to sell our domain registrations (Hogan Lovells).

On October 20th, 2021, during a phone call with Facebook attorneys, we declined their low offer and maintained our requirements. At this point, we presumed it was Facebook and identified them on the call. The attorney representing Facebook declared they would respect our existing right and registration.

On October 28th, 2021, Facebook decided to commit trademark infringement and call themselves “Meta”.

They couldn’t buy us, so they tried to bury us by force of media. We shouldn't be surprised by these actions — from a company that continually says one thing and does another. Facebook and its operating officers are deceitful and acting in bad faith, not only towards us, but to all of humanity.

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[bmugford]

Let's be honest here, people have been talking about "metaverse" before FB showed up late to the party and tried to hijack a generic term.

Also, the term itself is basically stolen from the 1992 book "Snow Crash".

It is rich for FB to think they can exclusively own this term for this use. It is nothing but an inflated sense of entitlement.

Brad

 

[bmugford]

"Meta" has been used in the video game field for well over a decade.

Honestly, FB can just suck it. They have no exclusive rights to this term for this use.

Brad

 

[Kingslayer]

Load of rubbish in my opinion. Checking out the site nothing is on it, checking out the companies social media handles (Twitter/Insta/Facebook) they only started posting on them 1st November, Archive.org shows nothing on the 'so called' meta.company as a business.

 

[tiletalk]

lol at hating facebook and having a link to your company page on facebook hahahaha

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

Generic.

In my language it is even in dictionary.
And META.UA (with mandatory TM) runs since 2002...

 

[Sutruk]

they probably started demanding 6 figures, so classic example of domain name squatting in my opinion, i hope FB win.

That domain has been registered since 2014.
By the way, then MetaCompany in King (owned by one member of his forum and registered since 2002) would be also squatting according to you? They are asking high 6 figures right now.
As @bmugford says:

people have been talking about "metaverse" before FB showed up late to the party and tried to hijack a generic term.

And

Also, the term itself is basically stolen from the 1992 book "Snow Day".

The thing is that there are 1690 records containing "Meta" in the US Trademark database alone, before Facebook showed up thinking they must own every "Meta" out there.
In my opinion...

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

Even Zuck confirms in his video that he knows Meta from Greek language...

 

[BRANDERX]

I see one thing here..

A company/domain owner having a meltdown because Meta's offer isn't going to make their dreams come true.


I don't see Meta trying to hijack anything, I see them making financial offers on names they don't need. They already own the nicest ones.

imo

 

[silentg]

Check out https://meta.inc as well . Canadian company FB tried to buy.

 

[AboGamil]

why facebook need this domain they have .com and .org ?!

 

[Xiberia]

Facebook probably offered them something like $30k-$50k but greed then takes over and they probably started demanding 6 figures, so classic example of domain name squatting in my opinion, i hope FB win.

Imagine hoping Facebook ever wins.

I'm not sure why you think with the insane metaverse hysteria "meta" is worth just $30-50k. FB was irrelevant to its value, though ironically now they've made it less valuable because no other big buyer will go near it.

The people behind meta.company are also not doing themselves any good screaming "Facebook Stole Our Name", when FB simply tried to buy their name.

 

[DOMAIN ILLUMINATI]

I think the owner of the greed domain owns it because Facebook is the one who wants the name

He doesn't own it because META Platforms, Inc. wants it - he owns it because he took steps in the past to own it.

 

[alcy]

hahah imagine If fb offered em 1mil..they'd be sucking and kissing on fb ugly toes in gratitude..

 

[Haroon Basha]

Meta or Metaverse is not Facebook properties. If one appoint a brilliant lawyer, Facebook will not win any case related to Meta or Metaverse.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

They don’t have a trademark they have an application.

I'm afraid that's not correct. Their registered trademark is here https://trademarks.justia.com/868/52/meta-86852664.html

They acquired it when the acquired the Meta.com/.org (META INC) business.

More information about their earlier Canadian trademark here: https://www.namepros.com/threads/facebook-rebrands-to-meta.1256390/#post-8438028

 

[MadAboutDomains]

Didn't realise that application went back to 2015, wow

Officially published for registration in 2017 but it was a trading business that they bought, so they have as much of a right to use the IP as if they started the business and registered the IP because they acquired it. There's a lot of value in a company's IP, it's probably why they bought it.

 

[hemirate]

I feel like they just feel bummed Facebook didn't end up buying this dumb domain name (with that shitty ext) at the obviously outrageous price they were asking for.

 

[Acroplex]

They have no recourse because their trademark is for Metacompany.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

Seems like it's just opportunism in order to make a quick buck on their part. Metacompany isn't Meta as has already been pointed out. What do they mean that they have been "hounding" them? I doubt that's the case... They have a trademark for their name "metacompany" so they can continue to enjoy using it so what are they barking on about?

Their trademarks on METACOMPANY was registered 06/05/2016.... Zuck's is 2015. Suck it up I say... complete mischaracterisation of Facebook's actions to say they stole the name imho.

 

[DOMAIN ILLUMINATI]

why facebook need this domain they have .com and .org ?!

They want to be the meta company.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

The notable thing though is I barely use FB, and only have a handful of personal contacts on there, and that was from someone outside the domain world that posted it.

Brad

Oh and their TM is for metacompany, not the shorter word meta.

And fair enough. What are you doing on FB... ? (I'm kidding, but sort've not too) I stopped using that long ago like everyone else.

 

[BRANDERX]

I actually saw someone post this on my FB feed -

"A public cease & desist", to Meta/Zuckerberg.. I can respect that, or I can laugh at it, not sure which.. In any case, he really wants to make millions, that's the only obvious thing..

 

[jhm]

I'm afraid that's not correct. Their registered trademark is here https://trademarks.justia.com/868/52/meta-86852664.html

They acquired it when the acquired the Meta.com/.org (META INC) business.

More information about their earlier Canadian trademark here: https://www.namepros.com/threads/facebook-rebrands-to-meta.1256390/#post-8438028

Didn't realise that application went back to 2015, wow

 

[karmaco]

I'm afraid that's not correct. Their registered trademark is here https://trademarks.justia.com/868/52/meta-86852664.html

They acquired it when the acquired the Meta.com/.org (META INC) business.

More information about their earlier Canadian trademark here: https://www.namepros.com/threads/facebook-rebrands-to-meta.1256390/#post-8438028

That is in category 35 and 42 marketing and software ONLY. Plus the in use is meaningless as their in use started oh 2 weeks ago. Not enough to claim Meta as their property.Therefore the long winded new application.

I suppose you want the meta trademarks that predate these to go bye bye too for FB? People are just not going to lay down and die for FB like this company did and they shouldn’t. Its not their word. Its generic. I expect lawsuits and objections to this madness.