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Unprecedented ‘Meta’ Domain Name Registrations

Client Alert | 1 min read | 11.02.21

Thursday’s announcement that Facebook is rebranding itself as ‘Meta’ resulted in an unprecedented number of new domain name registrations. Since Friday, we have identified over 48,000 new ‘meta’ domain names by way of the award-winning and bespoke brand protection and cybersecurity platform designed and engineered by Crowell & Moring senior counsel Alexander Urbelis.

Critically, a significant number of these newly-registered domains incorporate the names of companies and organizations, or well-known trademarks, e.g., meta-[company name].com or meta[trademark].com. Potentially used for phishing or misinformation, these domains may present cybersecurity issues, and may also constitute threats to brand strength. As a result, we recommend that companies preemptively register domains with the above syntax to prevent them from falling into the hands of cybersquatters or threat actors.

This unprecedented onslaught of domain name registrations also highlights the crossover and complementary nature of brand protection and cybersecurity efforts, giving companies the opportunity to strengthen their cybersecurity posture by protecting valuable trademark rights and prioritizing unauthorized domain registrations en masse.

Insights

Client Alert | 10 min read | 07.03.25

Focus on Transnational Cartels Continues: FinCEN Targets Three Mexican Financial Institutions with Special Measures, Restricting Their Access to U.S. Financial System

The Orders represent FinCEN’s first actions using new special measures authority under the Fentanyl Sanctions Act and FEND Off Fentanyl Act of 2024 (codified at 21 U.S.C. § 2313a) (the “Fentanyl Act”) and continue the Trump Administration’s broader efforts against transnational cartels and narcotics trafficking....