But there are some phrases that you would think would be beyond trademarking, because they're so widely used. For example, ROTFL, LOL, or NSFW. Well, nobody's trying to trademark your laughing abbreviations, but internet humor/bizarre link site Fark does want to trademark the term NSFW (or Not Safe For Work).
If you don't frequent the sorts of web pages where this kind of thing comes up, NSFW is an abbreviation that people stick next to a link that you might not want to click on while you're at the office with your boss looking over your shoulder. In other words, it usually signifies that the link would take you to a site with an adult theme.
The thing is, NSFW is pretty widely used. In fact, there's even a website called NSFW.com. You'd think if anyone qualifies for a trademark on the term, it would be that site. But we'd love to see anyone try to enforce a trademark on a term that pops up on user forums, newsgroups, chat rooms, blogs, user-generated news sites, video sites, and pretty much anywhere else on the internet.
[via Ars Technica]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-10-2007 @ 11:50AM
Rocketboy said...
I wonder if Snopes would follow up with trademarking NSFBSK?
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12-10-2007 @ 11:51AM
Big John said...
FWIW, I remember Fark.com using NSFW many, many moons ago. I don't remember seeing the term anywhere else back then.
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12-10-2007 @ 11:56AM
Eric said...
I am currently in the process of trademarking the term I. We use it all the time on IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIi.com
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12-10-2007 @ 1:08PM
Some Guy said...
Anyone who think they're serious about this will probably click this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU
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12-10-2007 @ 1:20PM
grant.robertson said...
If anywhere has the lineage to trademark NSFW, it would have to be fark. That being said, WTF is Drew Curtis thinking? This is actually more absurd than Trump trademarking the phrase, "You're Fired", which is something I thought would be incredibly difficult to top.
Way to go Drew, you just made yourself a bigger jackass than Donald Trump. Happy now?
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12-10-2007 @ 1:23PM
DeJesus said...
They'll get over it.
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12-10-2007 @ 2:34PM
Bob said...
Can someone please show where it says fark.com is trademarking the acronym NSFW?
http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=77338491
The application contains the words below:
(words only): NOT SAFE FOR WORK
The phrase is being trademarked!
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12-11-2007 @ 8:45AM
John said...
LOL™ :)™
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12-12-2007 @ 9:38AM
Ken Shabby said...
I'm sure he's not serious.
That being said, NFSW is the lamest thing ever.
Why should it be any more accepted to read "funny" news articles than viewing any form of nudity, if both things are done while you are getting paid to work?
The same goes for sites that censor the word "fuck" - and in case that just got censored, I'm talking about the word that sounds kinda like "fork" and rhymes with "duck", but is, to americans it seems, way WAY worse.
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