Software company Threads threatens legal action against Instagram
Threads Software Limited — a UK-based software company that offers an “intelligent message hub” for businesses — has threatened legal action against Meta Platforms over its use of the name Threads.
The company says it has owned the trademark since 2012 and claims that despite declining four offers to buy the “threads.app” domain, Meta shut down its Facebook page and launched Threads in July 2023.
“From April 2023, Meta’s lawyers made four offers to purchase the domain ‘threads.app’ from Threads Software Ltd,” the company said in a statement.
“Every offer was declined. It was made clear to Meta’s Instagram that the domain was not for sale.”
John Yardley, managing director of Threads Software Limited, says the company wants Meta to stop using the Threads name.
“We want them to stop using the Threads name with immediate effect. If they do not, we will seek an injunction from the UK courts,” said Yardley.
It has given the company 30 days to comply.
Yardley added that it wasn’t an easy decision to take on Meta Platforms — a $150 billion (R2.8 trillion) company — and described it as “a classic David and Goliath battle”.
Meta launched Threads in July 2023, and sign-ups rocketed to over 30 million within a day before climbing to over 100 million three days later.
However, user numbers started plummeting soon afterwards.
Threads Software Limited isn’t the only company threatening legal action against Instagram’s Threads.
Shortly after its launch, Twitter (now X) — for which Threads was designed to be a direct competitor — threatened to sue Meta, alleging that Threads is just a “copycat” built by former Twitter employees using the company’s intellectual property.
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