Facebook Says It Owns "Book"

[brentaal]

Facebook Says It Owns "Book"

"The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Facebook has sued a tiny start-up called Teachbook.com over the use of 'book' in its name. The start-up, which has two employees, aims to provide tools for teachers to manage their classrooms and share lesson plans and other resources. 'Effectively they're bombing a mosquito here, and we're not sure why they want to do that,' Teachbook.com co-director Greg Shrader told the Tribune. Facebook said its use of 'book' in its name is 'highly distinctive in the context of online communities and networking websites.' Facebook apparently is alleging that no other online 'network of people' can use the word 'book' in its name without violating its trademark."

Source - Slashdot

[Jan Veteran]

Wow. That's stupid.

[XerXis]

as bad as apple and their idea of owning pod

[ThunderThor]

Are they going to sue Apple next because of "FaceTime", or "iBooks"

[Rudy]

Are they going to sue Apple next because of "FaceTime", or "iBooks"

They would if Apple was a small startup that they could muscle up in court with expensive lawyers

[e-berlin.org]

as bad as apple and their idea of owning pod

..don't forget the letter "i"

[bolerodan]

woops.. here goes the right to use any words in a name for a business. Soon no one will be able to make a new business without being sued from someone "owning" rights to a word out of the english dictionary.

[e-berlin.org]

woops.. here goes the right to use any words in a name for a business. Soon no one will be able to make a new business without being sued from someone "owning" rights to a word out of the english dictionary.

So what? You can always call your company DSFASDFRAEGSECGRTHDTYBJHFGSC & Co.

[bolerodan]

So what? You can always call your company DSFASDFRAEGSECGRTHDTYBJHFGSC & Co.

Mmmm sorry, The use of the letter D is trademarked by me...much like the use of "i" from apple.

Im going to have to take you to court.

[Panacik]

Mmmm sorry, The use of the letter D is trademarked by me...much like the use of "i" from apple.

Im going to have to take you to court.

Ill take the letter R. Now i can get monies for people using that letter! :p

[hakem]

So what? You can always call your company DSF ASD FRA EGSECGRTHDTYBJHFGSC & Co.

DSF : Dubai Shopping Festival

ASD :American School Directory

FRA : Fleet Reserve Association

you can't use that name, sorry ? :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p

[Fred Derf Veteran]

They just want ownership of failbook.com

[burnsflipper]

So Sheperd Book is in trouble too? :p

[thechronic]

Pathetic. Book is a lot more relevant to the word teach than it is to Face. I have no idea why the should have a problem with that.

[e-berlin.org]

I will immediately contact http://www.assbook.com/

This domain is for sale!

email contact@assbook.com if you are interested in buying this domain

I want this domain! I want to be sued by Facebook! :laugh:

[revvo]

Well, I say house fan manufacturers should sue Facebook for using their technology

Seriously...

[Dark_ph0enix]

So Sheperd Book is in trouble too? :p

Something tells me, given his past, that Facebook wouldn't dare sue him ;)

[bolerodan]

Something tells me, given his past, that Facebook wouldn't dare sue him ;)

Must be a good day, so much firefly.

But agreed. If anything they should be worried about HIM going after them. He is after all, a well trained assassin.

[Alan-]

For the record there is also a "TeacherTube" and Google/YouTube didn't get sour at that.

[Growled Member]

I can't see Facebook winning this one.

[tiagosilva29]

Face.... palm!

[M_Lyons10]

Wow. That's stupid.

Stupid indeed. I hate when companies overstep like this. It's disgusting really.

[Nihilus]

Just playing devil's advocate here, but teachbook is obviously playing on facebook's name. the owners of teachbook also don't seem to have got the point, stating that they're "trying to understand how Facebook, a multibillion-dollar company, feels this small enterprise in Chicago is any type of threat.".

It isn't that they are a threat, it's that they're using a play on facebook's name to promote their own social networking site. Facebook said they have nothing against the company, and wish them the best, they just want them to change the name. That seems fair to me.

Plus Facebook's lawsuit is also going to give them more publicity than they could have dreamed of... maybe not the way they wanted it, but meh :)

For the record there is also a "TeacherTube" and Google/YouTube didn't get sour at that.

YouTube OWNS TeacherTube.

[Aergan]

So Sheperd Book is in trouble too? :p

First they kill them, then they sue him for infringement? For shame.

[Unrealistic]

I don't see a case in this. With Microsoft they do effectively have "Windows" however, you can still have that phrase in your name if it makes sense. It doesn't, however, make any sense that they can trademark what is essentially a suffix to their companies name.