A São Paulo court has ruled that Meta, the conglomerate behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, must stop using the “Meta” brand in Brazil in 30 days.
This follows a lawsuit from a Brazilian tech firm that registered “Meta” in 2008, well before Meta’s 2021 rebrand.
This older company, founded in 1990 in Rio Grande do Sul, faced wrongful legal actions meant for Meta.
São Paulo justices Nishi, Barbosa, and Ciampolini side with the Brazilian company, overturning the decision favoring American Meta.
Justices order Meta to clarify Brazilian firm’s ownership of “Meta” trademark, imposing R$100,000 ($20,000) daily fine for non-compliance.
Since its rebranding, Meta has mistakenly been involved in 143 lawsuits intended for the Brazilian company, a significant increase from 27 at the lawsuit’s start in July 2023.
The Brazilian Meta’s lawyers have spent considerable time correcting these errors in court.
Brazilian Meta faces complaints on platforms like Reclame Aqui and from consumer protection agencies due to Zuckerberg’s platforms’ service issues.
Court deems coexistence of both companies’ names unworkable, stressing clear brand distinction to prevent market confusion in tech industry.