It’s been nearly half a decade since Facebook rebranded to Meta. The brand is now so well-known that it’s easy to assume the social media giant owns their name in the intellectual property world. However, securing the Meta trademark hasn’t been a straightforward effort. In fact, a new administrative filing could upend the entire process.

Just under five years ago – around the same time Facebook rebranded to Meta – the company filed for trademark registration of the term “Meta.” Almost immediately, the company faced lawsuits and pushback over its attempt. News about these issues somewhat died down after Mark Zuckerberg’s company purchased other brands featuring the name.

However, a new trademark opposition has shown that one company is still not giving in.

Meta Platforms vs Metaformers

The brand formerly known as Facebook – Meta Platforms – filed multiple applications to register the Meta trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). After some administrative issues, one of the company’s applications was published for review in the Official Gazette. That’s when Metaformers showed up on the scene.

The smaller Virginia company submitted an opposition in early 2024. This case is still pending, but Metaformers apparently did not want to wait for the outcome. On April 22, 2026, the brand filed another opposition against a separate trademark application submitted by Meta Platforms. This means the social media juggernaut is currently facing multiple hurdles from a company that’s a fraction of its size.

This certainly has all the elements of a David versus Goliath story, and while it has far fewer resources, Metaformers may have the upper hand.

A Meta Trademark Battle on Multiple Fronts

Facebook’s rebrand to Meta has been – in a word – turbulent for the company. The entire purpose of the rebrand was to push Zuckerberg’s virtual metaverse focus. The legal issues that arose, which included lawsuits from MetaX, were the least of the brand’s problems. Nearly five years and $70-80 billion in losses later, the metaverse is effectively dead.

Unfortunately for Zuckerberg, ending support for his metaverse endeavor doesn’t reverse the rebrand. With the company now facing multiple trademark oppositions from Metaformers, it has found itself in the unenviable position of protecting a moniker that represents the brand’s biggest and most embarrassing failure.

Worse yet, the platform could be in a losing battle. While Metaformers didn’t immediately seek trademark rights over the Meta trademark and related terms, it has seemingly used the name in trademark commerce since 2001. Moreover, the USPTO approved the “Meta” trademark for the brand just three months after Meta Platforms first sought to register its new name.

What Happens Now?

The problem for Meta Platforms isn’t that it shares a name with another company. This happens all the time. For instance, there’s a Delta brand that sells faucets and another that offers airline travel. The two companies can coexist – each with trademark rights over their respective names – because there’s no likelihood of confusion between them.

No one will look at a Delta faucet and think the airline manufactures it. Unfortunately for the Zuckerberg empire, Metaformers offers software solutions, data storage, cloud modernization, IT consulting, data mining, and computer services. Clearly, the services offered by one company are at least tangentially related to those provided by the other.

This case now stands before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). Even as the 2024 opposition makes its way through the process, Meta Platforms has to now respond to the new opposition before June 21, 2026. There’s no way to predict how these cases will end with 100% certainty, but there’s no denying that Zuckerberg’s Meta trademark could be in danger.

It seems the failed metaverse is a gift that keeps on giving.