Facebook is facing off with U.S. courts once more, reports TechCrunch. It doesn’t have to do with them getting sued by TeachBook or PlaceBook by using “book” in its name. Now, Facebook is attempting to trademark the word “face,” picking up where U.K. company CIS Internet Limited left off in 2008. Facebook bought an application that was trademarked by CIS and now wants to move on.
Facebook’s trademark move – a good way to lose face
Facebook’s attempt to trademark “face” isn’t really a complete surprise. Trademarks are significant to corporate branding, but from time to time it is too much. Once a man tried to trademark “ganja.” That was an interesting court case. The website Fark.com once attempted to trademark “NSFW.”. There was one more one where a girl tried to trademark her nickname. That was Snookie from “The Jersey Shore”. Facebook will lose face just like the rest of them for their waste of the legal system’s time.
Aaron Greenspan doesn’t like this
Aaron Greenspan doesn’t think Facebook should be trying to trademark “face.” Aaron Greenspan claims to have made facebook with Mark Zuckerberg. Greenspan would end up having to pay Facebook if Facebook gets its “face” trademark because of the mobile payment app called FaceCash that Greenspan’s business, Think Computer, created. So would Apple, whose Facetime video calling app seems on the iPhone 4. Greenberg and no doubt numerous other entrepreneurs would appreciate being able to use the generic term in naming future products.
Facebook, wipe the egg off your face and move on
Facebook is probably not going to pursue “face” too much considering how aggressive Facebook has been previously. Perhaps individuals with no corporate aspirations at all may have to be careful, or the Zuckerberg express will enter their homes like a thief within the night and legally claim their faces. Kobo Abe who wrote “Face of Another” may have to be careful. Also, even John Travolta and Nicholas Cage in the movies “Face/Off” will need to watch their backs. See how much trouble they got into over faces? There wouldn’t even be mercy for the Tleilaxu face dancer from the “Dune” books.
Additional reading
FACE
tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial and amp;entry=78980756
TechCrunch
techcrunch.com/2010/08/26/trademark-face/
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark
