Apparently there is not only domain name squatting, also frequently referred to as cybersquatting or typosquatting, but username squatting too. Most companies do not open an account under their company name at the popular social networking sites, and that’s why about every well-known business name has been taken by users now infringing on the respective companies’ trademarks.
For example, there is MySpace.com/IBM, /Microsoft, /Sony, /iPhone, /BillGates and the list goes on and on. None of the accounts mentioned is owned by the company or individual having a right in these names.
There isn’t much talk about username squatting, although it clearly is a problem. Maybe it is a problem that most corporations have not yet realized existed. But they will, and they will then try to get their names back just as it has been the case with domain names. Rightful so, but the corporate world could again have saved money had they reacted earlier instead of turning a blind eye.
(via AdLab)
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Yes, you are right.. this includes the famous people too. Last week, I was just playing around on a social network, I picked the user’s name BarackObama, I was surprise it is available. And now every one wants to be my friend.
I don’t even want to talk about this topic because it still makes me sick to my stomach.
In 2005, before NewsCorp bought MySpace, I registered the username “tickets” on myspace and promoted the URL to sell tickets to shows for the various bands on my record label. In early 2008, Myspace without any notice or any warning decided to hijack the username from me. I’ve attempted to contact them about the issue but have as of yet have only been brushed aside and undutifully ignored. Now go to myspace.com/tickets – yep, you guessed it.
Anyone interested in the details about this incident can read more here:
http://www.shareneedles.com/2008/02/myspace-stole-m.html
Usernames are valuable properties, but in the end those properties are really not “your space” and can at anytime, under most TOS agreements be torn away from the user for any reason that the company of which whom owns the platform sees fit to do so.
Although I have not completely given up on investigating my legal rights as per the TOS that I signed in 2005 with MySpace, I sure as hell don’t put too much time and energy into developing content on social network platforms due to the unpredictable future of these properties. Maybe companies will one day award their members for developing on their platforms and helping to promote their site. Until then expect more issues like this to make headlines.
Thanks for the post.