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Due Diligence Can Mitigate Trademark Risk

By Jared A. Stark
February 01, 2022

Facebook's recent launch of "Meta" made legal news when it was widely reported that another technology company, Arizona-based Meta PC, had filed for a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for "Meta" in August 2021. Facebook filed its own trademark application with the USPTO in October 2021. By November, it was reported that Meta PC may have demanded millions of dollars to settle a potential dispute over ownership of the name.

Not all disputes are avoidable. However, in the world of trademark law, risk can often be mitigated by proper due diligence prior to using a mark.

The USPTO is the gatekeeper of federal trademark registrations in the United States. Those seeking a federally registered trademark must apply to the USPTO and undergo a lengthy application process. To be registered, a potential trademark must meet a number of requirements. At issue in the Meta dispute — and in the majority of trademark disputes — is the concept of "likelihood of confusion."

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