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This is a type of HN comment that I see often and don't appreciate. Format: "Your disapproval of [thing] can only be rooted in misunderstanding of [technicaliti

This is a type of HN comment that I see often and don't appreciate. Format: "Your disapproval of [thing] can only be rooted in misunderstanding of [technicalities]. [Flex re: said technicalities.]" People who are familiar with how trademarks work can still be dubious of Facebook's attempt to register BOOK. Is there a context in which I would accept it as distinctive? Yes, of course: the name of a social networking service. Is Facebook applying under such narrow terms? Not as far as I can tell. And do I trust Facebook to be tasteful and show restraint in defending this trademark, if it's granted? Not in a million years. P.S. This is almost beside the point, but remember when Monster Cable sued a bunch of small businesses—most famously a mom-and-pop mini-golf course—over trademark infringement?[0] At the time, there was no shortage of pedants chiming in to say that Monster didn't _need_ to be such a bully, that it wasn't an issue of the trademark system per se. As if that were some consolation! [0] https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080515/1940111131/ https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080515/1940111131/

ajna91 7y ago
There's a kind of shallow pedantic contrarianism that is unfortunately part of the culture.
mirimir 7y ago
That may be technically correct. But Facebook trademarking "BOOK" is just stupid, on its face. Also, I note that "facebook" itself was a term that had been used by universities for years to describe books of students' faces. As by Harvard, which Facebook was riffing on. Maybe it's OK to allow such trademarks. But there ought to be restrictions on holders suing over currently typical usage.
- mirimir 7y ago
  I mean, Amazon has far stronger standing to trademark "BOOK". And they'd be foolish to not contest this.
sbfeibish 7y ago
You have to defend a trademark or you can lose it. I had to assert my rights to baccarat.biz when the Baccarat crystal company tried to take it away from me. I don't blame them. But I wanted to retain the name and I prevailed in arbitration. Now I wound up not using the name (hope to someday) because (for the most part) online gaming was reserved for the brick & mortar casinos and horse racing tracks.

ajna91 7y ago

There's a kind of shallow pedantic contrarianism that is unfortunately part of the culture.

mirimir 7y ago

That may be technically correct. But Facebook trademarking "BOOK" is just stupid, on its face. Also, I note that "facebook" itself was a term that had been used by universities for years to describe books of students' faces. As by Harvard, which Facebook was riffing on. Maybe it's OK to allow such trademarks. But there ought to be restrictions on holders suing over currently typical usage.

mirimir 7y ago
I mean, Amazon has far stronger standing to trademark "BOOK". And they'd be foolish to not contest this.

sbfeibish 7y ago

You have to defend a trademark or you can lose it. I had to assert my rights to baccarat.biz when the Baccarat crystal company tried to take it away from me. I don't blame them. But I wanted to retain the name and I prevailed in arbitration. Now I wound up not using the name (hope to someday) because (for the most part) online gaming was reserved for the brick & mortar casinos and horse racing tracks.