

Facebook haunted by mild-mannered specter - ljlolel
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/silicon-valley-mild-mannered-specter-haunts/story.aspx?guid={DA2AE936-F19E-494B-B17B-CDBA3F2AF0BF}&dist=msr_1

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ojbyrne
I feel a bond...

"He has, however, plunged into a quixotic and surprisingly adept legal effort
to challenge the company's registered trademark. In addition, he's using the
experience of publicly criticizing Facebook to inform his own startup."

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helveticaman
If I may ask:

Do you think this guy is for real? Is this kind of screwing over a big risk
for founders? How would you avoid it?

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mlinsey
Regardless of whether or not the "he stole my idea" story is real, I do think
that he may have a good case that "Facebook" isn't trademarkable. When I
arrived at college the year before Facebook the site launched, we received a
dead-tree book at orientation that was called a "Facebook", and they had been
a tradition there and at many other schools for a while. While Apple can
trademark their logo, they can't trademark the word "Apple".

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LogicHoleFlaw
Ah, except they can trademark the word "Apple" in reference to the sales of
computers. A trademark is not just a word, but a word paired with a market.

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ojbyrne
As I recall from some marketing class or other - to use a concrete word like
Apple, it can't be indicative of the product's function. So the use of the
name Apple for a computer company doesn't in any way restrict other companies
from entering that market. But naming something after the offline function
that it implements - that does affect other companies trying to enter that
market.

I.e. if instead of Apple they'd chosen PC Computers - it likely would not have
been a valid trademark. And if you were an apple producer and tried to call
yourself Apple Inc., sorry that's no good either.

IANAL, obviously.

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kradic
[http://i-love-cartoons.com/snags/clipart/Casper-Friendly-
Gho...](http://i-love-cartoons.com/snags/clipart/Casper-Friendly-Ghost/Casper-
Friendly-Ghost-1.jpg)

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daveambrose
Is anyone else reading his book?

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brandonkm
Yea, I figure its at least worth checking out to see his perspective on
things.

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ivankirigin
What a loser. I read only enough to remember the name to ensure I never use a
product he makes.

