Meta joins the flurry of social media companies to protect their trademarks in the metaverse.
Meta, previously known as Facebook, has recently filed eight trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USTPO) for its logo, in the matters of blockchain technology, crypto services and the metaverse.
Instagram, Reddit and Twitter Blue are amongst the social media giants who incorporated NFTs into their user interfaces in early 2022. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg claims Instagram is currently looking to facilitate the minting of NFTs on its platform. Reddit and Twitter Blue are independently in the early stages of allowing users to set NFTs as profile pictures.
So what about Meta? The trademark registration process is a long endeavor, usually taking up eight to twelve months or more to gain approval following the date of filing. Although no plans have been set in stone, a quick glance at Meta’s applications gives us an idea of the company’s blueprint for establishing itself in the metaverse.
The trademark is described as ‘a geometric design consisting of two loops’ in the filings, and the mark covers a range of goods and services, such as crypto tokens, financial trading, currency trading, blockchain software, virtual currency wallets, virtual currency exchanges and digital currencies (info). A comprehensive list of applications made by Meta can be accessed here.
Many companies have been filing for trademarks in the metaverse especially in early 2022. It is reported that trademark applications for NFTs and virtual goods in the first three months of 2022 have nearly exceeded the grand total of applications in the previous year.
Whilst it is unclear what Meta intends to do with their metaverse trademarks, actively seeking protection for them can be understood as a concrete move on the company’s behalf to expand their services into the virtual world.
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