Facebook: De"face"ing the internet

[Evil the White]

It's finally happened. Facebook are trying to buy the English language.

 

[Nalesnik]

No, this trademark will have literally NO IMPACT on you, or me, or anyone whatsoever, unless your trying to create your own commercial social networking site with the word "face" in the title. If you need something serious to worry about, then worry about for-profit bio-pharmaceutical companies trying to patent human and animal genes. They're basically trying to take over control of the future of the healthcare industry, which is quite a scary though.

Edit: yea, I've been ninja'd. The webz move fast.

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

So I can't say "face" on the internet?

You must be shitting me. It'll be interesting to see how they get most of the internet to pay for using the word "face". My bet is that they won't get shit.

I'd change my name on Facebook to "Face McFace".

Can I be your evil/lesser known twin?

Of course you can.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

As I understand Trademarks this doesn't mean that you can't use the word "Face" just that you couldn't start a message board or online communication service that incorporates "Face" into it's name. Hence you couldn't come up with a service called "Face-Time" or "About-Face" or anything similar that offers a service similar to Facebook, however you could have a visual design website called "About-Face" or "Face-Time" since it's not about "message transmission". It's basically Facebook protecting its name from competitors and knock-offs, like how the Wii tademarked Wii, Cii, Zii, Vii etc. so it would be harder to create a knock-off and confuse their customers.

Edit: Uhhh, third times a charm I guess >.>

 

[Baldry]

So what happens to the movie "face-off"?

AND HELL I don't even use the word face, well frequently anyway!

 

[Snake Plissken]

Oooh...ooooh... totally relevant!

 

[Geekosaurus]

It just wont happen.

 

[no one really]

Electronic bulletin boards... forums? Online chat rooms... MSN? IRC? AIM? Would that make uses such as 'facepalm' obsolete?

... They may take our lives, but they will never take - OUR FACEPALMS!

I like my facepalms :'(

 

[Celtic_Kerr]

-SNIPZORZ-

It will fail. You cannot simply trademark a noun. Face is a noun. Think of it, if someone made a program where you could put a celebrity face on top of your own and called it "Pick-a-face" they could be sued...

trademark office won't allow that. It's too common a word.

 

[TheEndlessSleep]

This is one of the most ridiculous and unecessary things I have ever heard. How the hell will they police this?

Btw guys... I'm patenting the word 'and'...

1...
2...
3...

I'll take my $10000000000000000 in royalties now, internet users...

 

[Ekonk]

FACE FACE FACE FACE FACE

Sue me, Facebook.

 

[The Rockerfly]

How on earth can they do that? The word "face" was not created by them, therefore how can they claim legal ownership over it

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Facebook doesn't deserve this. If this passes...

I better get the word out of my system now.

Spoiler: Face...etc

Face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face,face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face, face... Okay, I'm done.

 

[nofear220]

I live in Canada, so I'm not sure if the US can regulate what I say, because I am not a citizen of their country. If they apparently can regulate what I say, then what the fuck is wrong with the world... Mark Zuckerberg can go fuck *cough* 'face' himself.

 

[Choppaduel]

FACE

I think the points been made already, but i'll reiterate. Public domain needs lawyers too, but because theres not money in it, the lawyers will always be more willing to represent the corporations.

 

[Choppaduel]

Reminds me of Magic the Gathering trademarking the word "Tapping" -_-

Lol. Gonna tap that ass. But it'll cost me 5 red mana.

i lold.

nice one Xzi.

 

[Harbinger_]

Facebook.
Everyone has one, right? Or at least, that's the assumption. It has managed to worm its way into everyone's head, whether we have an account or not. But little do we realize, it's worming its way further than we think.

You see, Facebook is now one step closer to trademarking the word "face." Or, at least in certain situations. They put in an application for this in 2005. Little was heard, and it was assumed this attempt was dead. However, on Tuesday, the widely successful company has heard back. Facebook has received a "notice of allowance" from the US Patent and Trademark Office. For those of you unaware, this means that Facebook now has six months to show it uses the trademark, along with paying a 100$ fee. (Alternatively, it could file for a 36 month extension.) Once that's over, the trademark will be either approved or rejected.

But how would that affect you if it's approved? Aside from letting you know that all you need is a lot of money and power in the internet world to trademark a common word, it'll also affect this worrisome instance:

Even if it's approved, Facebook wouldn't have a trademark on "face" in every instance, only in online chat rooms and electronic bulletin boards for the "transmission of messages among computer users in the field of general interest and concerning social and entertainment subject matter," according to the Patent and Trademark Office's database entry on the application.

Electronic bulletin boards... forums? Online chat rooms... MSN? IRC? AIM? Would that make uses such as 'facepalm' obsolete? What about about 'The many faces of the Escapist'? No, no more picture threads for you, my friends. At least, not with the word 'face' in it.

However:

It oddly exempts uses "primarily featuring or relating to motoring or to cars."

Phew. You had me worried there, Facebook. I was worried I wouldn't be able to discuss how my new car is faceing this nice Canadian winter.
So, don?t worry. You can still use "face" in the context as "to face something" if this thing passes. You just can't talk about it online in a transmission of messages concerning anything considered 'general interest.' So basically, you can't use it and be having fun online.

[Interesting note, though. Since this request was filed back in 2005, not one single person has filed an opposition to this proposed trademark.]

So what are your thoughts? Should anyone be allowed to trademark common words? Is Facebook getting too cocky for their own good? Should we revolt and change all references to Facebook as Creepbook (or other such terms)?

Source [http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/11/25/facebook-trademark-face.html].

Edit:
While I admit to being slightly sarcastic about never being able to use the word "face" online after this will pass, I will plead artistic license on the basis I do not know how the US trademark laws work. Also, it seemed the sensible thing to do.

However, that doesn't take away from the fact that trademarking the word "face" would limit quite a lot of other companies from using it. Face is a common word, it would significantly impact business markets to have that no longer accessible to them. What about FaceCash [http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/03/facebook-facecash-aaron-greenspan-mobile-payments/]? Facebook seems relentless to keeping people off any sort of similar name.

In August, it filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Teachbook.com, an online community for teachers.

That was teachers, people.

I'm surprised that CBC got ahold of this first. They're usually kinda slow with the news. Seems kind of silly you can trademark a word found in the dictionary.

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

I don't think anyone should be allowed to trademark a common word, no. I think, in order to trademark ANY word, you should have had to come up with it yourself.

QFT

Only Flooths who Creeagalate a Dardosliil Should be allowed to Geapflarket said Dardosiil.

Spoiler: Translation

Only people who create a word Should be allowed to trademark said word.