Facebook’s personalised URLs offering raises risk of abuse

Lawyers advised advance registration

Facebook’s personalised URLs feature, launched recently, allows account holders to register URLs for respective profiles by selecting a specific username - which can be a trademark, a brand name or even a personal name. The name will then reflect in the URL of their profile.

Facebook designer Blaise DiPersia stated on the firm’s blog that the new Facebook URL woud be similar to the user’s personal destination. But, reportedly, lawyers have pointed out that the cyber-squatters could grab the trademark first and misuse it. Media experts advised organisations, celebrities and politicians to claim theirs early, to save those from being snatched.

Cyber-squatters are those who squat on the trademark rights of others - they set up phoney accounts under company names or celebrities' names.

Facebook has taken initiatives to curb the cyber-squatting efforts by adopting a no-transferability for usernames measure. To prevent the mal-practice, Facebook had offered brand owners the opportunity to pre-emptively protect their rights by registering the trademark in advance; however, the service has been withdrawn later as the registration process has begun.

Facebook has also stated that any firm, which intends to report infringement of their rights, will be provided with an automated form to request removal of the third-party page in question.

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