It is reported that the Motion Picture Association (“MPA”) sent Meta a Cease-and-Desist Letter over Meta’s announcement that Teen Accounts on Instagram will be “guided by ” PG-13 ratings. SeeInstagram Got a Cease-and-Desist Over PG-13 Ratings.
According to the MPA, the MPA serves as the leading voice and advocate of the motion picture, home video, and television industries. It works in every corner of the globe to advance the creative industry, protect its members’ content across all screens, defend the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and support innovative distribution models that bring an expansion of viewing choices to audiences around the world. Its member studios are: Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
“Instagram is revamping Teen Accounts to be guided by PG-13 movie ratings, meaning teens will see content that’s similar to what they’d see in a PG-13 movie, by default.
Parents who prefer extra controls can also choose a new, stricter setting.
We’re also offering parents new ways to share feedback, including the ability to report content they think teens shouldn’t see.”
The MPA has issued a formal statement on Instagram using the PG-13 Rating to guide new content moderation tool as follows:
“The Motion Picture Association was not contacted by Meta prior to the announcement of its new content moderation tool for Instagram Teen Accounts. We welcome efforts to protect kids from content that may not be appropriate for them, but assertions that Instagram’s new tool will be ‘guided by PG-13 movie ratings’ or have any connection to the film industry’s rating system are inaccurate.”
According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s database, there are currently three (3) active trademarks associated with the mark “PG-13.” They are as follows:
All three active trademarks are owned by the Motion Picture Association, Inc.
Will Meta’s use of the trademarks qualify as “fair use?”
