Facebook using Monster Cable's strategy: Sue over a generic word
 

Facebook sues start-up for using 'book' in name - Aug 2010

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Facebook is suing start-up site Teachbook.com for using the word "book" in its name, according to court documents. The complaint, filed in a California district court last Wednesday, alleges that Teachbook is "rid[ing] on the coattails of the fame and enormous goodwill of the Facebook trademark," said the document obtained by Wired.com.

Facebook, based in Palo Alto, accuses Teachbook of a slew of crimes including federal trademark dilution, trademark infringement and unfair competition. "We think the complaint speaks for itself," said Michael Rhodes, an attorney representing Facebook.

While Facebook doesn't claim to own rights to the word "book," it argues "if others could freely use 'generic plus BOOK' marks for online social networking services .... that would dilute the distinctiveness of the Facebook marks."

This isn't the first time Facebook has gone after small sites over the -book suffix. The travel site TripTrace -- once called PlaceBook -- detailed in a post how the social networking behemoth forced it to change its name. "We didn't believe anyone could own the word 'book' apart from 'face,'" reads a post on TripTrace's company blog. "We knew of a number of websites that had similar names that were clearly not copying Facebook: Cookbook, Blackbook, eBook, RunBook ... Racebook, Casebook, Tastebook." But the site acquiesced to Facebook because, "as a start-up we were in no position to fight."

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:2 cents: One more reason to hate facebook. They are money grubbing, corporate jack-booted thug lunatics.

I have 9983468767 reasons for hating Facebook.

I don't have an account, and will never have an account. My girlfriend and most my friends seem to spend all damn day on it talking endless pointless shit.


Never mind the tubes, the internet got 100x worse when 'social networking' became the "big" thing...

So this is why AllergicToWatermelon is selling all his Tube domains - before YouTube tries the same with all the tube sites.

Well they should get on the stick and buy up every domain+book they can find. Lazy.

fuck you FACEBOOK, go fuck your self and your stupid trademarks, fuck you, i deleted acc, eat that Zurgberker

Troubling It's one thing to sue over a mark/logo that is confusingly similar. But a generic word? Legal bullying much?

yep.... same as how MC sues anyone with the word monster in their name, regardless of what type of business it is. Most simply bend to their will because they can't fight a "monster" like MC.

facebook will soon die off

im surprised they haven't sued yet all those facebook of sex sites

I guess we know how they intend to make a profit. No need for user fees.

Joke ???

I lean more towards blissful ignorance. :2 cents:

I think the word "book" can be used as part of a two-word phrase that is not identical.

sounds ridiculous, but they are actually kinda riding on the success of facebook... before facebook, there weren't any social networking sites named ____book, or can you name some?

whether that is breaking trademark law is debatable, but the fact is that the site was named "teach book" mainly because of facebook's success..

Facebook's lawyers disagree.

why am I talking to a bot?

but another fact is that there were word combinations containing the word book long before Facebook existed. i.e. cookbook, blackbook, phonebook, ebook, audiobook, etc.... combining "book" with another word is not Facebook's invention. They are acting as though it was:

as they have sued others with businesses completely unrelated to social networking.

Monster Cable hasn't made Monster Energy Drinks change their name. But Monster Energy Drinks did go after Rock Art Brewery for their Vermonster Beer. There was a huge public outcry and Monster finally backed down.

myRedBook.com predates facebook by 2 years.

They're not suing sites solely on the use of the word 'book' in a URL, but on the way it is used. For instance, "teachbook" is a social community website for teachers and is using the word 'book' in their name. Where did they come up with the idea to use 'book' from? Why not Teachersunite or Teachercommunity, etc etc.

Think about it, before Facebook who would have thought about using 'book' in their URL for a social site? Before Facebook, it was Myspace, so Teacherspace, etc.

Facebook has a point. I'm not sure how this will fly in the courts, but I can see the where they're coming from on this.

They would not win in the courts but they do not want to take it to court. They hope teachbook does not have enough money to defend themselves.

Facebook only has a point in regards to other social networking businesses, and must defend it even in that realm. Outside of that realm, they have no jurisdiction over the use of the word book in any way. But they will probably continue to flex their muscle because many small businesses just don't have the resources to go to court against something like Facebook with virtually unlimited legal funding.

Basically, who cares if some random company was inspired by the Facebook use of the word "book". TeachBook is in trouble because they are (were) mimicking the very thing that IS Facebook.... but suing companies that have nothing to do with social networking in any way is just plain vicious & greedy. Companies like Monster Cable, strong-arming Monster Mini Golf over the use of the word "monster" in their name.... and companies like Facebook strong-arming a travel agent.

I wonder what their take is on fuckbook and sexbook then.

I will laugh at them if they try to sue me for FaceBitch.com lol

So PornHub can sue all other adult sites using the word hub? Will redtube take on all the other adult tube sites?

People making a huge deal about this don't realize that Apple (for pod), MySpace (for space) and many other companies have done this very thing in the past. Facebook's not doing something out of the ordinary, and as long as huge corporations are catered to by laws and government, they'll keep doing it and bullying people out of their names.

maybe someone should mention it to youtube

This sort of thing would violate Goog's Manifesto: Don't Be Evil.

q f t

hopefully google doesnt start going after tube

http://www.myyearbook.com/ comes to mind and i belove they been around a year or 2 longer.so myyearbook should be suing them if anything.

buttnovel.com is available

I thought if you sued somebody and lost, you were responsible for their legal fees.

I've been wrong before (today, even).

Jack Booted Thugs

The Man has his filthy boot on your neck once again, in the form of a snot-nosed kid named Zuckerberg.

http://brokenzombie.com/junk_bin/gfy/jackboot.gif

The peoples need to
Rise up!

http://brokenzombie.com/junk_bin/gfy/oppressed01.jpg

Reject this oppression, mafia tactics, legal titty-twisting and general mayhem!

http://brokenzombie.com/junk_bin/gfy/tittytwist01.jpg

http://brokenzombie.com/junk_bin/gfy/tittytwist02.jpg

http://brokenzombie.com/junk_bin/gfy/ganja018.jpg


:1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh :rasta :stoned

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh Spocks gettin titty twisted by Tiberious

Sad thing is, the site is for Teachers.

Sometimes while watching some TV, I can see my wife on the computer, logged into Facebook. I ask her how she can spend 3 hours looking at pictures of her friend's neighbor's sister's third cousin's baby. It's fucking ridiculous.

They prefer to sue teachbook instead of fuckbook and sexbook??:helpme



Amen.