Meta Company

Nate Skulic, founder of MetaCompany (a name they’ve been using since at least 2014):

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.

Looks like they’re going to fight Facebook for their name. Good for them.

It’s a common word, so it would be surprising if there weren’t existing companies using “Meta”. There’s also Meta.inc, founded by Andrew Wilkinson: “A long-term home for the world’s best digital agencies.”

What is surprising to me is that Facebook didn’t use their “infinite money” cheat code and just buy these names. I think that’s basically what Apple did with the “iPhone” trademark that was held by Cisco back in 2007. (I had forgotten that the prototype iPhones on display at Macworld Expo didn’t have “iPhone” printed on them.) There’s an entitled petulance at play here on Facebook’s part.

★ Wednesday, 3 November 2021