Innovation is what spurs tech companies to the top of the proverbial pile, but, once there, some seem to lose that innovative spirit, relying instead upon their accrued power to stay atop the marketplace. Instead of coming up with new ideas, it’s easier to simply buy up the innovative companies out there, or perhaps just copy the innovation you see. At the risk of generalization, Big Tech can get lazy, and that laziness can result in problems if they’re not careful about what they do.
Instagram certainly falls in the category of Big Tech company that is looking to retain its spot as the top app for photos and videos, at least with young people. It wasn’t that long ago that Instagram’s spot seemed unquestioned and unchallenged, but the rise of TikTok offered a real threat to their dominance. And so Instagram set to work trying to incorporate a feature offering similar functionality to TikTok, hoping that by offering the ability to make funny, edited videos, users could simply stay with Instagram and use its Reels feature as opposed to jumping over to TikTok, even briefly.
The plan seems to have hit at least one snag, however; Instagram is being sued by the ReelzChannel, which claims that Instagram’s new feature is infringing upon its trademark and is causing brand confusion with its name. If you were unaware that there was a TV network called ReelzChannel, you’re not alone there, but such ignorance isn’t an excuse that Instagram can rely on; after all, they’re not a startup but a part of the Facebook monolith, with the resources for an army of people to research potential names and trademarks to prevent such an issue from happening.
Perhaps it’s a case of Instagram not doing its due diligence, or simply not caring or thinking that any claims made by ReelzChannel or others would be held as valid. Still, it does seem a bit lazy on the part of the photo-sharing giant; Reels isn’t such a good name that it merits any and all risks of lawsuits for the sake of keeping, it, but it does speak to a knowledge that there’s enough money in the coffers to cover legal feel and settlements. It’s not a luxury that smaller companies can afford, but one of the benefits of being Instagram, I suppose, is the ability to do as you will.
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