I have authored many posts regarding celebrity athletes protecting their brands via the trademark system. You may check out a few here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Well, now it is time for these celebriletes (yes, I just made that word up) to take the next step to prevent others from snatching up a new Facebook vanity URL incorporating their trademarks.

Recently the social networking web site Facebook announced that it will begin providing access to vanity URLs at midnight tonight, June 12, 2009, on a first-come, first-served basis. As you may know, previously a user’s Facebook URL was comprised of randomly assigned numbers. Now, instead of random numbers, the URL would say  facebook.com/username. For instance, Tiger’s Facebook URL could be facebook.com/TigerWoods, or that could end up as the Facebook URL of one lucky fan (who may end up with an interesting legal battle).

Obviously, these changes may look like a nice opportunity for potential trademark infringers and cybersquatters to use trademarks as unauthorized user names. Therefore, Facebook is providing registered trademark owners the ability to block URL extensions for trademarks that are federally registered in the United States. This LINK takes you to the Facebook page that allows trademark owners to prevent the use of their registered trademarks as a username, and thus a vanity Facebook URL.

I wonder if I could get facebook.com/HankHaney and cash it in for a free lesson? Perhaps a round of golf in exchange for facebook.com/NatalieGulbis? Let the games begin!

David Dawsey  – The Golf Trademark Lawyer

PS – Click HERE to read more golf trademark related posts