The Battle of David and Goliath-Threads Software-Meta
A small British software company that registered the Threads trademark more than 10 years ago requires Meta to stop using its name in the UK within 30 days. Since 2012, Threads Software Limited has owned the British trademark Threads. Instagram Facebookand Instagram On Monday, October 30, her lawyers wrote a letter to the parent company and warned that if Meta ignores their demand, they will seek an injunction.
The arguments are the large funds invested in the promotion of the brand over these 10 years, and the risk of losing our positions in the market: "If we change the name of the service just to avoid confusion with the Meta company's product, it can throw the service back so much that we will lose the technological advantage."
Threads Software has previously rejected four offers from Meta to purchase its threads.app domain name. After the launch of the new social network Threads Meta in July 2023, Threads Software was removed from its Facebook platform. Now the British company has escalated the conflict with the IT giant, as "the business is facing a serious threat from one of the largest technology companies in the world" (quote from the statement of Threads Software CEO John Yardley).
Threads Software develops and promotes a cloud-based intelligent message center that collects, decrypts and organizes all emails, other messages and phone calls into one database. According to TechSpot, the Threads service has been actively promoted around the world since 2014, and in 2018 it began to be used in the United States. Since then, almost 1,000 organizations have become clients of the company, and sales growth has reached 200% per year.
Engadget recalls that the company was not the only one to use the name Threads when Meta launched its competitor Twitter. Fashion retailer American Threads also owned an Instagram account @Threads at the same time. Its administrators even managed to joke that people confuse the clothing brand with the new Meta service. At that moment Meta used the names @threadsapp on Instagram and @threadsapp.net in Threads. A month later, the retailer's accounts changed without explanation: to @americanthreads on Instagram and to @americanthreads.net in Threads. And Meta took control of @Threads.
This story reminded journalists how Meta got the @Meta account on Instagram more than a year ago. Then it belonged to the independent publication about motorcycles META.
"We understand that this is a classic David and Goliath battle," admits John Yardley, "and although they may think they can use any name they want, this does not give them the right to use the Threads trademark."
