Facebook To Own the Word "Face" 311
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.''"
So what you're saying is... (Score:5, Funny)
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?
Re:So what you're saying is... (Score:5, Funny)
ArseSuite, ArseDrafting, ArseSpreadsheet, ArseChat, ArseMediaPlayer and your ultimate favourite ArseFace.
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Flamebait? More like "+6 Funny"-bait.
Re:So what you're saying is... (Score:5, Funny)
BTW - The browser I'm using is AE (Arse Explorer) and I download my torrents with ArseTorrent (Ew).
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Re:So what you're saying is... (Score:5, Funny)
You'll have to rename it then. I suggest "Arse"
I'm afraid ArseTechnica beat him to it.
Re:So what you're saying is... (Score:5, Funny)
... ArseSpreadsheet...
Does that work out to a goatse joke somehow?
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Stuck between an apple and book......
http://iface.com/
Re:So what you're saying is... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:So what you're saying is... (Score:5, Funny)
Just use a synonym. I suggest "mug." MugSuite has a nice ring to it.
Doesn't have the same ring to it... (Score:2)
Poor Plinkett [redlettermedia.com]. 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.
Re:So what you're saying is... (Score:5, Funny)
Just use a synonym. I suggest "mug." MugSuite has a nice ring to it.
No, not mug - use "toot".
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Hm, does this mean I can't say myface.jpg anymore? Well fuck, mymug.jpg doesn't have the nice right to it, nor does mytoot.jpg.
I suspect people would expect a very different picture if it were named mytoot.jpg - and I can say for certain I'd never want to see it.
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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 pity the fool (Score:4, Funny)
who thinks he has a trademark on Face."
A friend of Templeton Peck.
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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'
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Re:No, not really (Score:4, Informative)
"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).
First "Book" and now "Face"? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:First "Book" and now "Face"? (Score:5, Funny)
Technically, this means they own the term "fuckface" which is a common synonym for Zuckerberg. So, hat's off to fuckface!
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Re:First "Book" and now "Face"? (Score:4, Insightful)
Zuckerfuck: What social media does to the web, and human society.
Future history book:
In the mid 2000s, mankind was beginning to be Zuckerfucked. By 2015 the Zuckerfuckification was complete, and new words had to be invented for "face" and "book" to avoid licensing fees. Unfortunately it was impossible to spread the use of these words among the population without making them the property of Facebook or Twitter, leading to the current usage of "that thing between your chin and your hairline" and "bound set of pages." However Pepsi was still as delicious as ever. Drink Pepsi.
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"Takes a lot for me to laugh while reading on the internet..."
Not familiar with the BOFH stories,then?
Re:First "Book" and now "Face"? (Score:4, Informative)
You are correct.
Facebook vs Teachbook.
However they had SOME miniscule ground in that Teachbook is meant to be a social network for teachers - and Facebook being a social network - felt that the use of 'x'book for social media sites kind of makes it sound like its trying to copy or associate with them, so they're defending the Facebook trademark that way.
Now - they basically want to do the same thing with Face, I assume. No social networking site Can be Face'x'. I don't think the lawyers would be stupid to try and defend its trademark outside the realm of which the company operates.
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I don't think the lawyers would be stupid to try and defend its trademark outside the realm of which the company operates.
You must be new around here.
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Hmmm ... I think I'll try registering facetious.org ... No, wait; that's already registered (72.52.199.114), as are facetious.net (also 72.52.199.114) and facetious.com (208.87.32.68). Similarly, faceoff.com, faceoff.net and faceoff.org are all registered, as are facet.com, facet.net and facet.org. I wonder if they'll all be sued by facebook?
There's also the growing problem that most 1- and 2-word (English) domain names are all registered, mostly by domain squatters.
OTOH, it seems that right now, facebook
facebook is a common noun (Score:3, Insightful)
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 [wiktionary.org] 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.
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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.
Yes, according to this link [foxnews.com]:
Facebook has been embroiled in a spate of trademark-fueled litigation in recent months, most recently a back and forth with parody site Lamebook. The company has also sued Teachbook and Placebook
Facepalm! (Score:5, Funny)
FacePalm!
Re:Facepalm! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Facepalm! (Score:4, Funny)
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Does this mean I have to get a license or pay a fine if I want to get shitfaced?
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Careful. facepalm.com, facepalm.org and facepalm.net are all registered domain names.
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http://www.kyon.pl/img/12029,motivator,Tommy_Lee_Jones,facepalm,glasses,screencap,No_land_for_old_men,No_Country_for_Old_Men,.html [www.kyon.pl]
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FacePalm!
In your Face!
oh, oh, (Score:2, Funny)
A-well-a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word
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awesome song, btw.
Oops (Score:2)
Oops! I'm sorry, please don't sue me!
In your FACE common sense! (Score:2)
[+] Like.
Trademarks never to be used (Score:3, Interesting)
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.
How about (Score:3, Interesting)
Facetime?
Apple will have to cede trademark ownership... (Score:5, Interesting)
of Facetime?
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That was my first thought, too...
Re:Apple will have to cede trademark ownership... (Score:5, Funny)
of Facetime?
1! 2! 3! 4! I call an IP war!
Re:Apple will have to cede trademark ownership... (Score:5, Funny)
of Facetime?
1! 2! 3! 4! I call an IP war!
5! 6! 7! 8! Imitate and Litigate!
Re:Apple will have to cede trademark ownership... (Score:5, Funny)
of Facetime?
1! 2! 3! 4! I call an IP war!
5! 6! 7! 8! Imitate and Litigate!
9! A! B! C! Trademarking is almost free!
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incorrect - if anything the reverse case will apply, and restrictions/exclusions or overturn of the Face trademark would occur. Apple's trademark claims on Facetime have precedence due to date of filing and usage. Facebook would be foolish to confront Apple on this.
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of Facetime?
No it won't.
So are these phrases nbow owned by facebook? (Score:3, Interesting)
Face time
Giving face
Getting face
Face the music
Face off
This is supremely retarded.
Face.com (Score:3, Interesting)
Not necessarily as bad as it sounds (Score:4, Interesting)
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.
yeah do that (Score:2)
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They didn't patent "face", they just registered a trademark. I believe evolution patented the face, but that patent expired many millions of years ago...
Terrible (Score:5, Interesting)
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?
Looks to me (Score:2)
I looks to me like Facebook is in a hurry to lose face by being the south end of a northbound horse.
What did Apple say about this? (Score:4, Interesting)
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Facetime was created in 1998, and Apple bought the code.
That was a little bore Facebook came along I think.
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The video chatting code may have been created in 1998, but I'm pretty sure "FaceTime" is just a product name that was publicly announced last June. If the trademark application came before that, Facebook may have grounds for forcing Apple to change the name...
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facebook came first... if it hadn't, would apple still have called it facetime? if the exact same service and user base as facebook.com existed for camerabook.com, would apple have called it cameratime?
No. "Face time" is an idiom that means "speak directly to someone who is in front of you." Eg, "I need to go spend some face time with my accountant." It has nothing to do with Facebook at all.
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face time does not imply speech.
Would you travel to spend some "face time" with a client, and just fucking stand there looking at them? Now, I have no idea about Apple's product(s), but I damn sure know what "face time" means in the real world. It implies speech, and speech is the very center of what it implies.
In the business world, the entire purpose of traveling to spend some "face time" with a client IS TO SPEAK WITH THEM, face to face. The purpose being that they associate the mutual business with
Generic Word? (Score:2)
Re:Generic Word? (Score:5, Informative)
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They went from retarded "Lindows" to even more retarded "Linspire"
damn. (Score:5, Funny)
Facebook is officially the place to "get 'faced" (Score:2)
"dude, I was so 'faced last night. like I even posted about my boss."
Facebook can have my face ... (Score:2)
... when they peal it of my cold, stiff, hairy ass!
AAAND LO!!! (Score:2)
im wondering, if, there is ANYone who can still come up with a half-straight argument for patent and trademark bullshit.
Re:AAAND LO!!! (Score:5, Insightful)
There's a great comment on TFA [techcrunch.com] that really nails is. I'm reproducing it here for convenience:
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What is being stopped here, however, is the specific use of a specific term in a specific instance. You're no longer allowed to create a social networking site using Face-, that's all. Hell, even that's not quite true - there are a number of legal routes to doing so if you wanted including challenging the trademark, Fair Use, concurrent use, geographic protections, different industry, and so on.
you dont get it. facebook owns word face in telecommunications. someone else owns it in foodmaking. someone owns it in moviemaking. someone owns it in publishing ............ so the story goes and eventually you will see that all words are owned by someone in all fields.
because, there is no end to this. anyone can buy a word for anything.
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That's the big one and I'm constantly confused as to why people demand protections from the commercial sector but then rant and rampage when it's given to them. If you want to open your own website for family use and you call it FacetoFacewithUnity100 - that's allowed! If you want to call it Faceof
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limits ? anyone can buy anything in a field. and because there are A LOT of fields, it will eventually come down to daily speak.
can be ruled invalid or lost ? how many trademarks that are of consequence, lost ?
you think you can put up a lot of pics of you and call it faceof me ? wait until someone trademarks it in that field. or yet, wait until some corp patents the blog concept. or word blog. or any technologies underlying it.
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That's the big one and I'm constantly confused as to why people demand protections from the commercial sector but then rant and rampage when it's given to them. If you want to open your own website for family use and you call it FacetoFacewithUnity100 - that's allowed! If you want to call it FaceofMe and include thousands of pictures of your face...thats allowed!
Allowed but you still have to put up with barratry. [nissan.com]
Assbook to own "ass" (Score:2)
http://assbook.spruz.com/ [spruz.com]
OUTRAGEOUS! (Score:2)
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But to claim "face" (and no doubt "book") goes beyond what should have ever been allowed.
I'd wonder whether the real target of the facebook gang is the word "book". But that's so ludicrous that they had the sense not to tackle it first. The idea is to sneak up on it, by first registering "face", and getting a number of courts to agree with that. Then they can tackle the problem of getting control of "book" in an online setting, using the "face" court decisions as a precedent.
In the long run, "book" is probably a much more valuable word to own than "face", which is much more limited in its on
Talking Face-to-Face (Score:2)
That's ok (Score:2)
My competing service, Basefook, is not affected.
Oblig. (Score:3, Funny)
Absurd (Score:4, Informative)
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I've always wanted to get a cricket bat and engrave the word 'Clue' on it four times.
Isn't there already a trademark for "Face"? (Score:2)
Isn't there already an international "Face" trademark for the cosmetic company Face of Stockholm?
Hackers and lawyers unite (Score:2)
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Its time to deface facebook.
Too late, it's already happened. Oops, my bad. That's the way it always looks.
In related news ... (Score:2)
At the risk of being facetious... (Score:2)
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?
Prior art (Score:2)
Oblig. (Score:2)
Things just go from bad to worse for FriendFace.
Wow... (Score:2)
Silver Lining? (Score:2)
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 lat
Suits me fine (Score:2)
CountenanceCodex has a more ominous ring to it, anyway.
Faceparty predates facebook (Score:3, Informative)
UK social networking site Faceparty [wikipedia.org]: launched 2000
US* social networking site Facebook [wikipedia.org]: 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"?
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Shouldn't that be Smugshot?
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Trademark office. (Score:3, Informative)
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."
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