Wrong use of the word Metaverse: confusion between Virtual Universe and brand Meta
Metaverse became a common term for referring to a virtual parallel world where people can interact in a three-dimensional environment, a trend caused by the evolution of technology and the spread of virtual experiences.
However, this concept is incorrect, and it could lead to serious legal issues for companies which use the term Metaverse incorrectly. Metaverse is the digital universe of Meta and it is property of Meta only.
Let’s bring some clarity: how Metaverse was born
Mark Zuckerberg firstly introduced the term Metaverse with a video on 29 October 2021, opening the door to millions of questions (Introducing Meta). Today, we want to shed some light.
The ex-company Facebook introduced the term Metaverse in 2021 for referring to a virtual universe developed and owned by itself, which would represent the future of digital interactions. Metaverse is a proprietary virtual world owned by the company Meta.
This means that Meta has a legal value: it is the brand of the company (like Coca-Cola, for example). Therefore, when other people and, especially, other companies started using the term Metaverse generically for referring to any virtual universe, they are ignoring that they are illegally appropriating of a registered trademark.
The word Metaverse is now the center of complex controversies between those who use the term for referring to any virtual world and those who are aware that the Metaverse is Meta's proprietary universe.
The analogy with the Marvel Cinematic Universe
An analogy with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) perfectly fits to further understand the connection between Metaverse and Meta. MCU is a term used by Marvel Studios to describe its own narrative universe. MCU is intended for all the films and TV series based on iconic characters like Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Now let’s imagine that any narrative universe, which has nothing to do with Marvel, was called the Marvel Cinematic Universe: it would be absurd! No one would ever use the MCU name for referring to the DC Comics world or to the Harry Potter universe. This is because the name Marvel Cinematic Universe is closely tied to Marvel Studios, its brand, and its creative work. No one can or should appropriate the MCU term to describe a narrative universe different from Marvel’s one.
Simply Metaverse is to Meta like the MCU is to Marvel Studios.
Toward regulation?
Meta has a specific vision and infrastructure for its Metaverse, which distinguishes it from other virtual experiences, such as gaming platforms or virtual reality simulations producted by other companies. Legal issues could arise soon due to the strong presence in the market by Meta: the improper use of the word Metaverse could lead Meta to aggressively protect its brand, becoming an issue of counterfeiting.
It is urgent and essential that tech companies, and especially the one who work with virtual reality, clearly distinguish the general concept of a virtual world from Meta's Metaverse.
Conclusions
In this age the boundaries between the real and virtual are blurring and so it is crucial to maintain clarity in the terms we use. The term Metaverse is not a generic label for any virtual world, but it represents a specific and proprietary product within Meta's technological landscape. Using this term correctly will helps to avoid misunderstandings and, especially, will bring respect and value to the work of a company, just as we respect the work of the Marvel company and its cinematic universe.