The complaint says Meta’s rebranding from Facebook last year
to focus on developing services in the metaverse will cause consumers to
believe that it is associated with Dfinity, which uses an infinity symbol logo.
Both the logos were approved by the US Patent and Trademark
Office (USPTO). Dfinity although claims, that its logo has been a mark of its
services since March 2017, CoinTelegraph reported.
Dfinity, which was founded in Zurich, Switzerland, in 2016,
has research centers around the world that develop the Internet Computer, a
decentralized blockchain network that allows users to build websites and
internet services.
Dfinity's legal team has laid out a list of reasons why they
do not think sharing a similar logo with Meta is a good idea.
“Meta and Dfinity seek to attract the same users, namely
those who are looking for an innovative and different internet experience,
created by users, for users. Further, both Meta and Dfinity utilise the same
marketing channels such that consumers will likely encounter the marks through
those same channels,” CoinTelegraph quoted the lawsuit as reading.
Dfinity has further blamed Meta for proceeding with an
infinity logo when they were aware that another company had already assigned
its identity with the mathematical symbol.
“The similarities between Meta's mark and Dfinity's mark,
and Meta's intended use of its mark in the same space and through the same
customer base as Dfinity, will cause confusion because consumers will
mistakenly believe that Meta and its services are connected with, sponsored by,
affiliated with, or related to Dfinity, or that Dfinity and its services are
connected with, sponsored by, affiliated with or related to Meta,” the lawsuit
added.
Dfinity lawyers have claimed that the blockchain foundation
has already incurred losses in revenue due to confusion with Meta because of
the logo.
Meta's response on the situation remains awaited.
On November 1 2021, social networking mammoth Facebook
announced a fresh rebranding under a new name, Meta, unveiling its new infinity
logo.
“The metaverse isn't something we're building; so much as
it's something we're building for,” Clegg said, reiterating the vision shared
by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg earlier in October.