Slashdot Mirror
Facebook To Own the Word "Face"
Dthief writes "The US Patent And Trademark Office has sent Facebook a Notice of Allowance, which means it will grant the 'Face' trademark to the popular social networking site. Facebook now has three months to pay an issue fee before they officially own the word. From the article: 'For all intents and purposes today's status update bodes well for Facebook's hold over 'face' usages in '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.''"
My super rich application, FaceSuite, complete with all the regular knacks, FaceDrafting, FaceSpreadsheet, FaceChat, FaceMediaPlayer, and my ultimate favourite, FaceFace Designer - will need to be rehashed and trademarks changed?
Didn't they sue someone over the use of the word "Book" (teachersbook) or something like that? This was a common phrase to apply to a year book. This kind of stuff is just beyond me...nobody should be able to own common words or letters.
FacePalm!
I want to own the word "bird"..
A-well-a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word
:Facepalm:
Oops! I'm sorry, please don't sue me!
[+] Like.
It's a sad day, we now know that Mark Zuckerberg has the trademark on AssFace and FuckFace. Well, I guess we knew that already anyways.
Facetime?
of Facetime?
Face time
Giving face
Getting face
Face the music
Face off
This is supremely retarded.
Feed the need: Digitaladdiction.net
I'm curious what this means for Apple and their usage of FaceTime. Will Apple have to change the name?
Face.com may be forced to remove their Facebook like box.
This might not cause that much trouble, because when you *register* a trademark (as in (R)) you have to specify what business the mark will be used in and it's limited to that. A non-registered trademark (as in TM) is harder to defend but has a lot more wiggle room for the trademark holder. IANAL but I'll continue using the word "Face" w/o worrying, unless I'm building a social networking web site.
This is like a slap in the face to the public!
Wait, what do you mean I owe Mark Zuckerberg a thousand dollars for this slashdot comment?
visage palm
I looks to me like Facebook is in a hurry to lose face by being the south end of a northbound horse.
"while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." de Tocqueville
Does the ruling include Facetime?
Just wait till Hannibal, Murdock and B.A. show up.
IT WONT BE PRETTY!
No one is to own Face!
Poor Plinkett. Guess he'll have to figure out another witty way of saying, "What's wrong with your face?"
"What's wrong with your mug?" just doesn't work the same.
Didn't Microsoft try this a while back with the word "windows"? Wasn't the result back then that "windows" was a common word and could not be used as a trademark? Wouldn't the same precedent apply here?
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
So much for facebukkake.com...
"dude, I was so 'faced last night. like I even posted about my boss."
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
I suppose it's the same people, but the word is trademark. And proper nouns are what trademarks are for -- the word you're looking for is "common noun."
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
... when they peal it of my cold, stiff, hairy ass!
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
Hopefully they were just being FACEtious.
there were idiots defending the patent system still, when we argued that it had reached a ridicule point in which the ownership of common words and logic concepts are being granted. they were still arguing against it.
im wondering, if, there is ANYone who can still come up with a half-straight argument for patent and trademark bullshit.
Read radical news here
it certainly connects people for communication and socialization...
continue to use the word face without worrying, out of the tech field, until they or others patent it in other fields too. then you can proceed to seek a replacement word, for that, well, word that you let go .
Read radical news here
I can see it coming....
http://assbook.spruz.com/
There is no other word for it. If they want to own "Facebook" and no one else is using it already, fine I can live with that. But to claim "face" (and no doubt "book") goes beyond what should have ever been allowed.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
If I talk face-to-face with someone else, do they now own that too?
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
My competing service, Basefook, is not affected.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
All your face are belong to Mark Zuckerberg.
"face" in a telecomunications context. Such as "interface"? Someone needs to beat them in the face with a clue stick.
Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
Isn't there already an international "Face" trademark for the cosmetic company Face of Stockholm?
"Edge" already has enough trademark problems thanks to Tim Langdell.
So I can't have a site named FaceFuck.com?
Its time to deface facebook
Does this mean that Facebook is claiming "ALL YOUR FACE ARE BELONGING TO US?"
... popular social network sits on Face.
Have gnu, will travel.
who thinks he has a trademark on Face."
A friend of Templeton Peck.
I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on the Internet. Blog
At the risk of being facetious - I guess they will own face to face meetings, saving face, face-offs, face time.
I wonder what Janus (the god with two faces) thinks about this?
This guy may have something to say about that. So would these guys. Neither of whom would I want to be messing with.
The eternal struggle of good vs. evil begins within one's self.
I think the rage is more about the over-reaching grab for everything - it's not that they want "Facebook" they want Face{EVERYTHING} (and {EVERYTHING}book) - and these words are often used as part of a larger word or phrase, for example (just some normal words that are in use, let alone "created" words like facebook):
Let's *ace it, *ace is a pretty common word or syllable, and claiming otherwise is a bald-*aced lie. Same with *ook! LittleBlack*ook.com is probably in trouble (given Teach*ook is in court), the GoReadA*ook.org foundation is up *hit creek ... and where shall it stop?
Face Off Facebook.....
Sig?! Sig?! We don't need no stinking sig!!
Things just go from bad to worse for FriendFace.
"Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
The nuttiest thing about this is that "facebook" is a common noun. It's not used in all areas as a synonym for "yearbook", but it is in some.
Before Facebook, a facebook was simply a compilation of pictures of members of a class to allow them to get to know each other.
Basically, if you have money, there is a different (self-made) law for you. It's basically might makes right, but with only the threat of violence as opposed to actual bloodshed.
I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on the Internet. Blog
In other news, Apple has recently trademarked the letter "i".
Facial. Peter North is not pleased.
I still cannot find the droids I am looking for...
What a bad ruling.
Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
Take a break for a second, haters, and consider this: a million-fold reduction in awful "Facex" products being shoveled out the door. I feel no sympathy for all the rubes who thought they had hit gold with "xbook," either.
I wish Apple had a trademark that could kill off all of the iProducts. It's like every marketing moron in the world suddenly got a promotion for pitching us iFood, iSoda, iPants, iComedies over iCable on iTVs, and iTrucks with iForce engines (fuck you, Toyota!).
The world has enough latent stupidity that it can certainly do without more iPowered Faceblogged Douchebooks.
Repetition does not transform a lie into the truth. - FDR
CountenanceCodex has a more ominous ring to it, anyway.
Proud member of the Weirdo-American community.
I don't know how International trademark claims work but I doubt that this is going to be applicable in the UK on the basis that use of the word "face" in the title of a social networking site predates Facebook.
UK social networking site Faceparty: launched 2000
US* social networking site Facebook: launched 2004
*(later international)
Secondly, I understand how "Facebook" can be a trademark, I understand how the Facebook logo/logo-type can be a trademark, but how can "Face" be trademarked. It just seems stupid. What next? Is G.E. going to trademark the letter G? Slashdot trademark the word "Slash"? Microsoft trademark the word "Micro"?
I assume the "motoring or cars" exception must mean there's another site out there that *is* related to motoring or cars. Anyone know what it is? Now I'm curious...
Well, they already have laptops nicknamed road Apples, so why don't they embrace it?
Don't forget "saving face," which is supremely important in Asian cultures.
Though I suspect China might just laugh Facebook out the door if they were to slap 'em with a fee...
He who has no
American geeks will have to get more innovative with their language or face extinction.
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
Old English (450-1100 AD)
History of the English Language
Aren't patents / trademarks supposed to be for new inventions? Something that hasn't been seen before.
This just shows how screwed up the patent / trademark system is.
This is ludicrous. Nobody should be able to trademark common words.
I have a trademark on "Brain" for usages in "Governmental services, namely, registering trademarks".
-
- - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
DumbFace, DirtyFace, UglyFace all illegal ??? ... common ..
"created" words like facebook
Actually, facebook is a real word. Not created at all. It's like a college yearbook, but created and distributed with contact info, allowing people to contact each other in college and potentially after they've graduated. "Facebook (R)" is just a facebook on the web (which morphed into a social network, and added people who aren't in college).
Because that would mean that their just released Facetime for Mac would be called Arsetime for Roadapples.
Let's storm the castle and kill this monster!
...oohhh, shiny!
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
Good thing that they didn't get awarded the term "Farce".
My killer social website, FarceTwatSpace, is still safe.
Free, as in your money being freed from the confines of your account.
there were idiots defending the patent system still, when we argued that it had reached a ridicule point in which the ownership of common words and logic concepts are being granted. they were still arguing against it.
Yeah... most of those "idiots" realize that there's a difference between "trademarks" and "patents" even though the same governmental agency governs them. What fools. Incidentally, I've got some alcohol or tobacco for you to put in your mouth. Or that other thing from the same agency, but I'm sure the difference is irrelevant to you.
Also "Congressional Facebooks" have been in use since before the internet existed. Lots of politicians coming and going to keep track of. I'd send you a link as evidence, but unfortunately it's going to take Google a while to add a search filter for "not as registered trademark". :(
Windows for example. Why is this 'news' again?
Bye!
VisageVolume
"visage" means *ace (sorry, *acebook now owns that word)
"volume" means book (unless Amazon owns that word, oh wait, doesn't Brazil own the word Amazon? Or was that the ancient Greeks? I'm getting confused)
Or we could use "CountenanceCodex"
I was just thinking that if someone made a copy of all the very first pages of the publications in the world, and then stuck them all in the one volume, that would then be a "preface book", which clearly must be "pre facebook".
After Facebook gets the "Face" trademark, they can start sueing right away. These businesses (in Oregon only; first google hit) have been using the word "Face" in their business names for many years already, so clearly they are violating Facebooks trademark.
http://egov.sos.state.or.us/br/pkg_web_name_srch_inq.do_name_srch?p_name=FACE&p_regist_nbr=&p_srch=PHASE1&p_print=FALSE&p_entity_status=ACTINA
Slashdot social media options: AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber and Mobile Text. Why no MySpace?
So I can expect the copyright police to turn up when I say "sit on my face baby" to my bitch.
There is also Dial Face a telephone maker in Milan, started in 1909 as Western Electric Italiana. Actually Face is an acronym for "Fabbrica Apparecchiature Comunicazioni Elettriche" (Electrical Coomunication Appliances Factory)...
Surely a face-saving solution can be negotiated to the current face-off between the unacceptable face of capitalism and the about-face proponents of ...(face-palm) ...face to face negotiations on the ownership of 'face' - we are currently facing...
There I've said it - while you were all just wondering what face to put upon it...
Lets face it.....I doot the Canadians will ever sue their military!
A closed mouth gathers no foot.
Next up:
EasyFace goes to court - who will win? :)
Insert
Face Face Face Face FACE!!! Sue me now, Zuckerberg.
There is a way to end this nonsense. Since terms like "face" and "book" have now become off limits and the sole property of companies like Facebook and Apple, etc. All others should stop using them and as a matter of strict public policy substitute the word "____" or "_____" when discussing them. That way these corporations will have to pay each time they want to advertise rather than having the general public and the news media do it for them. Perhaps, then the desire to own words won't seem like such an attractive proposition. Otherwise at the current rate freedom of speech won't mean anything as the entire dictionary will be owned by someone and you won't be able to open your mouth to say "Yahoo", or oops I mean "______". Bad habits are hard to break, but I'm working on it.
Curious. As an Australian, I don't believe I've seen the word before the advent of FB. If nothing else, its usage in Australia is uncommon. At least I learned something today.
It is an advantage when a company has a good reputation - it lets people know that you can trust this tablet PC because Apple made it (if you like Apple.)
Giving Facebook a trademark is kind of like giving Betamax, "The Adventures of Pluto Nash", or "Adolf Hitler"
excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
faecesbook? scatological but correct
I think I smell the material for an A-Team sequel movie. Faceman wants his name back, fool!
Laissez lire, et laissez danser; ces deux amusements ne feront jamais de mal au monde. - Voltaire
Look at the mainstream products, services and companies with names that look like open-source project name rejects: Kijiji, FourSquare, TomTom, Angieslist, Kudzu (would have been a good name for Facebook, an unstoppable, invasive, destructive parasitic weed), Koodo (sp?), Skype, Shazam, Zoosk, the list goes on.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
Gee - we can't use 'Face', and we can't use 'book'. I know! Let's call the world's most popular social networking site 'Fecebag'!
'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
This means the trademark so be limited to only involving:
..... (continue ad nauseum)
:)
1) companies that have no off-line presence
2) companies whose web-sites do nothing useful
3) companies whose web-sites which provide no useful product or service
4) companies who promote "friending" any random person in the world for no intelligent reason
5) companies whose logo could mistaken for facebooks logo
and everyone else should be allowed to use the word "book"
WARNING, idiotic "joke" bellow.
Facebook.... consider this a slap in the "face, book" me for it.
If I create FaceciWCzerni (that's Men In Black in Polish), a social network for Polish Catholic priests, will I have problems? I mean, of course I will, but will I additionally have to face litigation for trademark infringement?