Urgent Legal Advice for Corporations Regarding Facebook

Facebook announced this week that, beginning Saturday, June 13, at 12:01 a.m. EDT, Facebook users will be allowed for the first time to create personalized URLs for their Facebook pages (e.g., facebook.com/yourname).

Although Facebook encourages users to create URLs based on their personal names, Facebook anticipates that some of its users will want to set up URLs that include the trademarks of others.  Facebook has created an online form for trademark owners interested in preventing their registered trademarks from being included in usernames by Facebook users.

Trademark owners or their authorized representatives can reserve their trademarks on the Facebook platform by submitting relevant information to Facebook through its trademark protection contact form, available at http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=username_rights.

If you have questions, please consult your attorney, or see Facebook’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, available at http://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=896.  I urge everyone to act today, in light of Facebook’s upcoming deadline.

- Miss A