FaceBook.com Sues FacePorn.com

[Kamikaze]

According to ComputerWorld.com, Facebook filed suit on October 15th today against Faceporn.com, alleging the site essentially copied Facebook to build an adult social networking platform.

“Until recently, Faceporn billed itself as “the number one socializing porn and sex network,” offering a range of pornographic content.

However it now says it’s offline for a redesign. “We’re currently working to launch a completely new version of the site, and it will be the best porn site the world has ever seen,” Faceporn says on its front page.”

According to court filings, Facebook alleges that Faceporn “blatantly copied the Facebook logo, site and Wall trademark.”

Screen shots filed with the lawsuit show some Facebook-like elements, including Wall postings and a similar blue-and-white color scheme. Instead of poking, Faceporn users can apparently “send a flirt,” according to the screen shots.

Facebook asks the court to order Faceporn to hand over its Web domain and all revenue to Facebook.

This follows on the heals of Facebook.com suing TeachBook.com which we wrote about back in August.

FuckBook.com however is alive and well as of publication.

(original post)

 

[webgames247]

This is getting crazy.... Look like FB is sue over every domain with "face" or "book".

 

[allboeing]

This is getting crazy.... Look like FB is sue over every domain with "face" or "book".

Yeah it make you want to register a domain with something in that but put something completely unrelated to facebook so they'll come to sue you and you can counter-charge as defence saying that facebook is attempting to reverse hijack your domain for their own profit and state the content is compeltely un-related and ask for damages of profits over visitors(since fb began court order) and then get all that money for facebook being idiots.
BUT PLEASE GUYS DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO WHAT I MENTIONED ABOVE I AM JUST SAYING IT CAN BE DONE HOWEVER I DON'T ENDORSE THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOUR AS I MYSELF WOULDN'T DO IT.

 

[labrocca]

This is getting crazy.... Look like FB is sue over every domain with "face" or "book".

No they are suing everying using face and book as a social networking site. Which they not only can do but they'll win too.

 

[Keith]

No they are suing everying using face and book as a social networking site. Which they not only can do but they'll win too.

Wrong! They will lose the suit against teachbook no doubt. Their mark is "facebook" and nothing else.

Hey I own namepros and if you use "name" for a domain related site you have infringed on my mark. No way, not going down that way no matter how well known the site!

 

[marketingmon]

Book em Dano

Facebook is becoming more and more an internet corporate giant and less of a social meeting place. Facebook should work on improving the FACEBOOK experience, after all the FACEPORN is for something else.

As a recovering porn addict, less internet and more meeting women in person is better.:kickass:

 

[enlytend]

Hey I own namepros and if you use "name" for a domain related site you have infringed on my mark. No way, not going down that way no matter how well known the site!

A domain IS a "name". A social networking site is not a "face". Or a "book".

FB went to a lot of effort to get their tm. If you get a tm you're obligated to police it or you can lose it.

 

[CurtisNeeley]

Has none here seen "Always Save"© in WM. They have been down this road a few times here in AR and elsewhere. A general site design can't be protected.
They are not likely to convince a JURY that FP was attempting to reach people by capitalizing on the name or design?

 

[Ferrari310]

They can't do anything about the name. They can take some copyright violations... But that's it. Facebooks a st*pid a*s company for doing this...

 

[breakinginternet]

its sad how big companies think they are gods and try to close any initiative who "affect" their bussines.

 

[exsedo]

Its called protecting your intellectual property.
One of the requirements for owning and maintaining a trademark.

Family type entities like facebook have millions of members who are minors and any right minded person would welcome their efforts in this instance, to protect them from pornography. There is an obvious intent to leech off the popularity of facebook by using the prefix 'face' with the word 'porn'.
There are plenty of other prefix words that they could have chosen.

 

[Keith]

Would any reasonable person think faceporn is linked to facebook? I just don't see folks making that assumption.

 

[exsedo]

Would any reasonable person think faceporn is linked to facebook? I just don't see folks making that assumption.

Take this a bit further than just a domaining point of view. I'll put something else in the mix.

Go to g00gle or Yah00 search bar and type in 'face'.
With the auto-suggest that search engines use nowadays, the first thing that gets thrown up is 'facebook'. I would think that a majority of people search this way now. When you type in the first few letters and that list of suggestions comes up, you are going to click on the suggestion that you want, rather than carry on typing 'facebook'.
It is this suggestion list that they will target.
If you put a child in a sweetshop and tell them not to touch the sweets, how many will not be tempted ?

 

[owntype]

I sold the domain name FacePorn.com in 2007

Glad to see it in the news.

 

[1MZ]

No they are suing everying using face and book as a social networking site. Which they not only can do but they'll win too.

Only because they have the lawyer team behind them. Most likely they will settle out of court.

Its a common scare tactic by lawyers, rattle the chains and make sure all those follow shake in their boots.

All the while the Lawyers claim their billable hours!

 

[webgames247]

I sold the domain name FacePorn.com in 2007

Glad to see it in the news.

Luck you and how much ? if you dont mind :hehe:

 

[Dave_Z]

Wrong! They will lose the suit against teachbook no doubt.

If they win, they win. If they lose, they lose.

But they won't win or lose merely because their trademark is only facebook and nothing else. That won't be the only factor to be considered in their dispute.

They can't do anything about the name.

Why do you think so? After all, there's such as a thing as a "trademark", which applies to how words and/or phrases are used.

I'm rather wondering how come they haven't sued F*ckbook...yet.

 

[labrocca]

So when faceporn started their site and chose a domain it had no idea of the famous site and had no intention of being a clone except for being porn. Yes sure guys.

You'll see. They'll be changing their name soon enough.

 

[Erdy]

People who have posted in this thread are also subscribed to it. I wanted to post this here so that everybody who is subscribed to this thread will see this:

U.S. Trademark office is running a survey. You can report trademark bullies here that you have come across even if it is not related to yourself:
http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/bullies_survey.jsp

So I suggest everybody to report facebook as a trademark bully.

 

[exsedo]

What is being done here will be tried and judged by using existing legislation. If facebook wins or looses, it will set an example for future cases.

Targeting one entity to report as a TM bully is hardly fair when there are lots of other entities doing the same thing i.e. Google, Microsoft, Apple and numerous others.

If however you disagree with the Trademark laws, it would be more appropriate to campaign for changes in that area. :imho: