Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

> Lamebook and Facebook are very confusable.

Oh come off it. Next you'll be saying that people think "Microsoft sucks" is an official Microsoft site, or that "Chimpy Bushitler" is the official name of the previous US president. It's called parody, and anyone with two brain cells to rub together gets it.

> just take a picture of the two websites

You don't even need that. Would any company call its own product "lame"?



First, a bit of an apology is in order. I had somehow picked up the idea that Lamebook is trying to be a business, not just a blog. (Though selling shirts may turn out to have been a mistake in hindsight, I don't see that as a business.)

That said, even as parody is a defense it's still not a blank check. For instance, see http://www.lfiplaw.com/articles/trademark_parody.htm . And, again, read the whole thing. It's way less clear-cut than you might think; they've got a couple points in their favor and quite a few against.


> It's called parody, and anyone with two brain cells to rub together gets it.

Or if you throw in a few more brain cells, it's called satire.


.. or chuck just a few more into the mix, and realise that parody is a satirical device :)




Consider applying for YC's Winter 2026 batch! Applications are open till Nov 10

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: