American Farm Bureau Still Haven’t Settled over FB — Facebook and
FB trademark still an open issue between parties.
Facebook bought the domain name FB.com from American Farm Bureau. But unlike what Mark Zuckerberg told the audience Monday when launching the social network’s fresh messaging system, the two parties haven’t settled an ongoing trademark dispute.
During Monday’s launch Zuckerberg stated:
“The farm bureau has agreed to give us FB.com and we in return have agreed to not sell Farm subsidies.â€
Not as stated by records at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. On Tuesday — the day following Zuckerberg’s comments — American Farm Bureau filed a motion with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board to suspend the group’s challenge to Facebook applying for the FB trademark since they’re still trying to settle.
Opposer and Applicant, through Opposer’s undersigned counsel, hereby move this Honorable Board to further suspend the above-identified proceeding until January 17, 2011. The parties are actively engaged in negotiations for the settlement of this matter.
Facebook’s counsel apparently consented to this suspension on Monday.
And Zuckerberg’s word “give” is probably a misstatement. American Farm Bureau sold the domain name to Facebook; it wasn’t an early Christmas gift.
