Does Facebook Own the Word Book?
Facebook is suing Teachbook according to this article on Mashable.com's website.
If Teachbook is allowed to get away with it, Facebook's name and product will be devalued, argues the social networking giant.
A website that is doing something similar to Facebook using the word "book" should not exist, says Facebook. It infringes on Facebook's ability to offer something unique. "Book" in the title is owned by Facebook.
Who came up with "yearbook"? This is the obvious source of Facebook's name. Should the inventors of the word "yearbook" sue Facebook over the rip-off of that word? Facebook has profited nicely. Have they paid royalties to the "yearbook people?
I had a couple of ideas for websites using "Face." Does Facebook own "Face," too? I was thinking about launching a website that profiles sexual offenders living in your neighborhood. It'll import the the offenders' mugshot into an online profile with a picture framed in blue under my logo. I'll call the site Facelook.
Another idea I had was to import the mugshots of incarcerated criminals into a similarly styled page. This one I'll call Facecrook. I know. These are really fab ideas that I thought of and, as you can see, I copyrighted them before anyone else steals my idea. Pretty slick, huh?
It's sad that new media has to resort to old world marketplace bullying to hang on to its top place. Facebook is currently the coolest way to reunite with people. Have they grown so large that they're now out of touch? Do they think that their actions won't create backlash? Now that the world has warmed up to social media at every level of society, they shouldn't think people won't jump ship for the next thing on the horizon. They've only been cool for a really short time. I think hybrid cars have been trendier longer. Facebook better think of a better way than copyright court to keep people loyal.
People know a cheesy rip-off when they see one. But if people want it, they want it. Get over yourself and do better. While you're distracted with courtroom posturing, fifty creative start-ups will launch, and one of them will gobble you up.
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