back to article Trademark fight: Brit biz Threads has a teeny tiny problem with Meta's Threads

Meta's Threads app is facing a trademark challenge from a software biz that says it owns the rights to the name in the UK, and has given Zuck's crew 30 days to change its branding in Blighty or face an injunction.  Threads has been a trademarked software service in the UK since 2012, according to Threads Software Limited (TSL …

  1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    Threads

    Couldn't Facebook also be confused with the 1984 movie in which Sheffield is radically urban redeveloped by a nuclear attack ?

    Of course one was a disaster in which people are subjected to the most terrifying ordeal, and the other happened in Sheffield.

    1. F. Frederick Skitty Silver badge

      Re: Threads

      I actually rewatched that film last week (we were first shown it at school, which resulted in complaints from the parents of some of my classmates). It seems sadly too relevant again, what with that swivel eyed loon in charge of Russia.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Threads

        Sheffield hasn't improved much either

        1. Alan Brown Silver badge

          Re: Threads

          Fred Dibnar managed a reasonable amount of urban redevelopment there

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Threads

      I'm not sure I would call a UK cloud related business "threads". Surely the owners would realise the potential for fungi related jokes about customer data security....

  2. Brewster's Angle Grinder Silver badge

    Good luck, you'll need it!

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Remember Microsoft SkyDrive? They renamed to OneDrive after Sky Television/Sky Internet kicked up a fuss. Sky, as part of the Murdoch empire was big, but still nowhere near as big as MS. Not that either of them deserve any love, but someone had to win in that case.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Ironically OneDrive is a far better name than SkyDrive - which sounds like an in-flight golf magazine

      2. Brewster's Angle Grinder Silver badge

        But Sky are many orders of magnitude bigger than these guys.

        1. MiguelC Silver badge

          And with unlimited media access....

  3. mark l 2 Silver badge

    I didn't even know that Metas Threads app had even launched in the UK, I thought it was only available in the US due to it not being GDPR compatible? Show how much attention people paid to their UK launch as I don't remember El Reg covering it on here or on any other big news sites

    If i were Threads UK id have said to Meta give us £100M and you can buy our entire company domain name, trademark and all or else see you in court.

    1. Alan Brown Silver badge

      The problem is that when you're disputing trademarks and are holding out for a better offer you _can't_ name your figure else it becomes hard to maintain the protection

  4. Trigonoceps occipitalis

    Threads

    So old hat, "Threadz" - now that is a good name.

    1. David 132 Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: Threads

      I believe the current zeitgeist would be something like "Threadr".

      1. JamesTGrant Bronze badge

        Re: Threads

        Threadio?

  5. Bebu
    Childcatcher

    Rebranding...

    In line with the "meta" (re)branding perhaps Z&co could go for something latinate.

    Threads could give you "Fila" but the you might invite such witicisms as "Fila shite."

    Hope the UK firm gets a decent pot of lucre if they end up parting with their trademark but quite happy if they stick it to Z&co.

    The meta Threads icon still looks like (twisted) bowels to me (and obviously fila...)

    1. RobThBay
      Angel

      Re: Rebranding...

      Zuck should use a recently abandoned name.... how about Twitter or maybe Twits?

    2. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

      Re: Rebranding...

      I believe "Fila" is already trademarked by that sports-apparel company. Though as they're in a different business Meta might get away with that one.

  6. ChoHag Silver badge

    > Meta's Threads later launched on July 5, and on July 7 TSL's Facebook page was removed for what we're told were allegations of community standards violations.

    That is some next level immaturity right there.

    1. imanidiot Silver badge

      Nah, exactly the level of immaturity I've come to expect from all the anti-social media companies. It's the sort of thing they've been pulling since the start. If you look for it, it's a very common occurrence for these large companies to just disappear someones account and reassign the handle because someone with a lot of money "didn't influence them in any way" with a massive bag of "payment for an advertising campaign" or just because some power tripping gobshite felt like removing the account for no reason.

  7. HKmk23

    What else do you expect

    He stole Facebook from Harvard University effectively.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: What else do you expect

      You pay $$$$$/year to attend Harvard.

      They (claim to) only take the most brilliant and innovative students

      But somehow anything you brilliantly invent while paying to be there - belongs to them ?

      On which basis, presumably the 30% of European children who are (allegedly) conceived in an IKEA bed are a slave army for the Swedish Meatball Empire

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I habitually refer to the main SocMed platforms as Twatter and Faceplant. I think these have something of a "what it says on the tin" appropriatness.

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