EXTRAPOLATING META-TAGS AS THE BASIS OF TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT
Where a person applies his/her own trademark, he is at liberty to exercise a right to use such mark in meta-tags and in the matter of his own website. The incorporation or, otherwise unsolicited existence of technology and its many mechanisms in the field of law is one which has given rise to brewing issues and controversies in the legal jurisprudence. The existence of these controversies is further complicated by the borderless nature of scientific development and the depth of sophistication that comes with each new form of technology. Meta-tags is one of these new forms and has had profound impact on law, generally. The nature of meta-tags enables it to manifest in search engines as keywords and /or descriptions and direct web page users to sites they intend to visit. However, and rather unfortunately, meta-tags have been used to promote the infringement of the trademarks of companies, thereby violating all that the law seeks to protect. This paper, therefore analyses the concept of meta-tags and its use for trademark infringement. The discourse begins with a contextualization or overview, underscoring a succinct explanation of the keywords in view of their relevance to the theme. It continues by considering ways in which meta-tags can actually augment or perpetrate trademark infringement sequel to the laws already existent on the subject matter. The researchers went on to conduct an extrapolation of the subject matter in consideration of the technological sophistication evident in the 21st century, and beyond within selected jurisdictions while proffering plausible recommendations for the redemption of our trademark laws. The paper concludes on this note.
Keywords: Meta-tags, Technology, Trademark, Infringement.
