Threads Software Limited demanded Meta stop using the Threads name in the UK, saying it has owned the trademark in Britain since 2012. Threads Ltd. told Meta in a letter dated Oct. 30 that it is giving the company 30 days to discontinue using the Threads name, saying if Meta doesn’t comply, it will seek an injunction from the English Courts.
Threads Ltd. is an intelligent message hub that stores a company’s emails, tweets, and phone call information in a cloud database, and was created with AI in mind, the company said in a press release. The company said in its letter that it turned down Meta’s requests to purchase the Threads name four times, adding: “It was made clear to Meta’s Instagram that the domain was not for sale.”
Threads Ltd., owned by JPY Ltd., widely promoted the company since 2014, two years after it trademarked its name. The company said in its letter that since its inception, it has licensed nearly 1,000 organizations globally and claims its sales are growing by an average of 200% per year.
Dr. John Yardley, Threads Ltd’s managing director, said the decision to take on the tech behemoth “is not an easy decision,” but it is necessary because of the threat Meta’s Threads poses to the company. Threads Ltd. says it won’t change its name “simply to avoid confusion” and if it did change the service name, the company claimed it could set back its progress, causing it to lose its technological lead.
“We recognize that this is a classic ‘David and Goliath’ battle with Meta,” Yardley said in the letter. “And whilst they may think they can use whatever name they want, that does not give them the right to use the Threads brand name.”
Meta launched Threads in June and gained 100 million users within the first five days, surpassing its competitor X. A month later, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said more than half of Threads users stopped using the platform.
Meta and Threads Ltd. did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment.
