Facebook Steps Up To Protect Trademarks

Did You Know:

The copyright laws apply on the Internet just as they apply to more traditional media. A person who downloads, uploads, distributes, transmits or otherwise copies or distributes software through the Internet without the express authority of the copyright owner is liable for copyright infringement. Penalties can be as high as $150,000 for each software title infringed. In cases of willful violation, criminal penalties may also be assessed.

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Facebook Steps Up To Protect Trademarks

On June 13th, Facebook will begin implementing a new policy that allows trademark owners to preemptively block others from using their registered trademarks as user names on its site. Under the new policy trademark owners may record their trademarks with Facebook in order to prevent use of the marks by third parties. This new policy appears to supplement the existing policy which allows trademark owners to request Facebook remove trademarked user names that already illegally be used by a third party.

It's nice to see Facebook jump in here to take prempetive action against trademark abuse. Facebook, Twitter and other social network sites have long been a haven for trademark abuse and misuse. Perhaps others will now follow Facebook's lead and take similar action. Those who own trademarks would be wise to preemptively record their registered word marks with Facebook in advance of the June 13th policy change.