Beginning this Saturday, June 13, 2009, at 12:01 a.m. U.S. EST, the popular social networking site Facebook will allow its current users who have more than 1,000 “fans” prior to May 31, 2009 to register and develop personalized usernames and web site address (or “URLs”) for their Facebook web pages. New Facebook users (or those with fewer than 1,000 “fans”) will have an opportunity to register a personalized username beginning June 28, 2009.
What is the Point?
In the past, a business or organization could have a web page on Facebook, but the URL assigned to that page was facebook.com, and then a random series of numbers (e.g., facebook.com/32783097210). The URL did not identify the business or organization by name. Now Facebook is changing that format to allow for a much cleaner URL, by integrating one’s username, which will appear as facebook.com/company name. The result is a much cleaner web site address that is easier for users to navigate to and remember.
Business names and trademarks are also valuable intellectual property worth protecting from unauthorized use. This is more so the case if your business name or trademark is distinct or recognizable. That is why Facebook is urging trademark owners to visit the site to register trademarks before the username registration period opens on Saturday.
What is the Risk of not Registering a Username?
While usernames and cleaner URLs are good marketing tools for companies to promote their products on Facebook and direct traffic to their web sites, there is a risk that cyber-squatters could snatch the trademark first and exploit it. Cyber-squatters or name-squatters—those who squat on the trademark rights of others—are a growing problem on the Internet, where people are increasingly setting up fake accounts under celebrities’ names or business names. The results are not always flattering.
How to Register
To prevent other users from registering your trademarks as a personalized URL, you may complete a short form available here.
Take note, however. If you are interested in obtaining a generic keyword to help with your business or organization’s visibility, Facebook will not allow the registration of generic usernames (pizza, flowers, etc.): “At this time, generic words are not available as usernames. Facebook encourages all users and Page administrators to create a username that closely matches the true identity of their name or business.”
If You Miss the Deadline
In the event that someone does register a personalized URL that incorporates one of your trademarks, or engages in other unauthorized use of your intellectual property, you may challenge such use by completing Facebook’s notice of intellectual property infringement form, found here.