Facebook Sued Over Timeline Feature By Company With Same Name [Timelines, A Chicago Company, Claims Facebook's Timeline Feature Will Roll Over Them & Their Trademark, Sues To Prevent Its Launch]

Posted on TFTS by Steve Anderson on Friday, 30. September 2011 under: Internet Highlights, Social Tech

Interesting news emerges from around the Facebook jungle–you remember when they brought out their new Timeline feature out at the f8 show? Well, apparently, a company from Chicago called, not surprisingly, Timelines, is suing to stop the launch of the new feature. Why? Timelines claims they own the name, and are already doing something similar.

Not only does Timelines have a claim on the name–they filed for Trademark status back in 2008 and got it, reportedly, in 2009–but also somewhat on the service itself. Timelines bills itself as a digital scrapbooking service that allows you to, essentially, create your own timelines based on everything from world events to a whole section on internet memes. And naturally, Timelines believes that Facebook will, essentially, destroy them due to their sheer market power and reach. From Timelines’ complaint:

Facebook has announced its intention to use and, indeed has already begun to re-direct Internet traffic, using Timelines’ federally registered “TIMELINES” trademark as the centerpiece of Facebook’s new product offering going forward, a move that, given the size and reach of Facebook, will essentially eliminate Timelines and leave the public with the confusing impression that plaintiff Timelines is somehow affiliated with Facebook.
In the event that Facebook is permitted to move forward with release of its “Timeline” product offering, consumer confusion with Timelines’ existing “Timelines” website will invariably result.

Timelines, for its part, is seeking damages and a temporary injunction to keep Facebook from rolling out Timeline and splattering Timelines all over the front of it. Interestingly, reports suggest that Timelines actually had a Facebook page, but checking Timelines’ own link to it redirects to Facebook’s Timeline, which suggests a potential problem in and of itself.

For now, Facebook is staying mum, and it seems like Timelines has a point, though chances are a “small Chicago company” will be easily thwarted by a bit of shut-up-and-go-away money or possibly full-on acquisition. Somehow I doubt this will actually go to trial, though.

But what do you guys think of this? Does Timelines have a point here in their case of “we-did-it-first”? Or is Facebook holding the whip hand here? Either way, we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section and tell us what you think!

Mary Peeples
I “USED TO” really enjoy FaceBook–whatever it is they’re doing now and whoever they’re doing it to has ruined it for me. I WAS stupid enough to spend real money playing games, etc–not any more–I’m getting really sick of the whole mess. Maybe “Someone” got too bug for their britches–I hope the “little guy” takes ‘em down a peg or three