The Metaverse poses a new challenge to Intellectual Property. It is essential to register trademarks as soon as possible in classes of virtual goods and services in order to have proper protection and avoid third-party registration.
The Metaverse is a game changer within the technology industry. It is a “virtual environment” -instead of a screen- where people can access to meet for work or make a purchase, among other things, without leaving their homes and interacting by means of “avatars.” The field of Intellectual Property, as was the case with the advent of the Internet, is presented with new challenges which are mainly due to the territorial validity
of Trademarks, Patents, Designs, and Industrial Models. Some well-known companies believe their presence in this new virtual environment is essential and have begun to register their trademarks in specific areas such as class 09 (downloadable virtual products, mainly computer programs), class 35 (commercial services with virtual products), class 36 (services including digital tokens), class 41 (virtual entertainment and education services) and class 42 (software development and consultancy for virtual environments). It is extremely important that trademark owners conduct a review of classes and coverage so as to have appropriate trademark protection in this new virtual world. At GTL we are here to help and provide you with specific advice on this matter.