It’s not news to anyone how huge Facebook is. So many people are using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter in today’s age. Based on the size of their audience and the reach of their brand, Facebook argues that both the word “face” and the word “book” deserve to be granted trademark rights, when used in the specific context of Facebook’s domain (chat rooms and online bulletin boards, according to the legal documentation). It is very unusual for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to grant so broad a trademark, but a few months ago Facebook made a compelling argument in a lawsuit against Teachbook.com, a social networking site for teachers. The lawsuit states, “If others could freely use ‘generic plus BOOK’ marks for online networking services targeted to that particular generic category of individuals, the suffix BOOK could become a generic term for ‘online community/networking services’ or ‘social networking services’.”
However, other sources argue that Facebook is simply being a bully when it comes to their name. Indeed, YouTube’s brand awareness is massive, and that doesn’t seem to have been diminished by other site’s using similar names like SchoolTube (a video sharing service for student video and media sharing) and GodTube (a christian video sharing service). According to Greg Shrader, a managing partner at Teachbook, “At the end of the day, they’re just trying to bully us and we’re not going to roll over. We have every intention of filing an opposition in a month or so…We’re a two-person company – I don’t know how a multibillion-dollar site sees us as a threat.”
Now Facebook is close to trademarking the first half of their name as well. Facebook originally filed for the “face” trademark in the context of online communication in December of 2005. Although the trademark has not been fully granted yet, it’s getting pretty close. What’s next, will Facebook attempt to trademark the letter “f”? Probably not, what do you think about all of this? Is Facebook being a bully, or do they have the right to defend their brand name?
Teachbook Suit
Written by Brennan Mack