Facebook - USPTO approval for "Face" tm

[enlytend]

The USPTO has issued Facebook a Notice of Approval for the word "Face" for

"Telecommunication services, namely, providing online chat rooms and electronic bulletin boards for transmission of messages among computer users in the field of general interest and concerning social and entertainment subject matter, none primarily featuring or relating to motoring or to cars"

http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=78980756

http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/23/patent-office-agrees-to-facebooks-face-trademark/

 

[theo]

This is ridiculous.

 

[TheWatcher]

This is not good, face is a very generic word.

 

[theo]

Probably they can only have some rights on "social networks" with words like "face" but again is very doubtful.

I'm going to tattoo my face with "TM"

 

[jberryhill]

This is not good, face is a very generic word.

So what?

So are "Tide", "Apple", and "Camel", all of which are very well known trademarks for a detergent, a computer company, and a cigarette.

The thing on the front of your head is a "face", it is not a social networking website.

Honestly, I have to wonder whether folks actually live in the real world, where a lot of famous brands are ordinary words.

Go start an airline called "Virgin", a printer company called "Brother", or a retail store chain called "Target" or "Staples", and see how that works out for you.

 

[labrocca]

Agreed JB. It should only take a basic understanding of TM law to see that FB is going to win all these social networking TM suits it has against sites.

If I recall Microsoft did the same thing once it gained enough notoriety for it's brand and every startup was using similar brandings. It's just not gonna fly. Once people realize this and a few precedents are set for FB these suits will end and people will get it.

This is not good, face is a very generic word.

So is "windows"...I dare you to start an OS with that brand name. MyWindows perhaps? Le'ts see how far you get before you get slapped with paperwork.

 

[TheWatcher]

So what?

So are "Tide", "Apple", and "Camel", all of which are very well known trademarks for a detergent, a computer company, and a cigarette.

The thing on the front of your head is a "face", it is not a social networking website.

Honestly, I have to wonder whether folks actually live in the real world, where a lot of famous brands are ordinary words.

Go start an airline called "Virgin", a printer company called "Brother", or a retail store chain called "Target" or "Staples", and see how that works out for you.

It makes sense after all.

Cheers.

 

[Dave_Z]

I'm going to tattoo my face with "TM"

They'll surely go well with you if they're especially your name's initials. Heh.

To some folks:this really isn't such a big deal. It can be if you're not necessarily aware how trademarks work, so...why not read up a bit on them to better understand?

 

[exsedo]

Just reading the " domains with traffic " sales threads on various forums makes me cringe :lol:

 

[h2o]

The privatization of the English language:

http://jeffreyhill.typepad.com/english/2009/04/the-privatization-of-the-english-language.html