Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A letter from Paper (FiftyThree) to Paper (Facebook)

news.fiftythree.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 162 posts

Re: A letter from Paper (FiftyThree) to Paper (Facebook)

#41

Post by lewispollard »

pron wrote: post #35
thrush wrote: post #19

It's a matter of respect. Paper (FiftyThree) is a well known brand and app, so basically the Facebook developers were 100% aware that they were utilizing someone's name (at least they should have been), and therefore they went ahead to publish their new app with complete disregard for what already existed.

On the other hand, FiftyThree have chosen a very common English word for their product name. You can't call dibs on a word like "paper", and this was a risk they should have taken into account. Either choose a proper (and trademarkable) name, or choose a common word and expect such consequences. You can't have it both ways, and I think even considering Facebook's Paper, FiftyThree have probably made the right tradeof…

After the King controversy and the resulting 'candy jam', does that mean someone will now start a 'paper jam'?

Re: A letter from Paper (FiftyThree) to Paper (Facebook)

#42

Post by pron »

austenallred wrote: post #38
pron wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, FiftyThree have chosen a very common English word for their product name. You can't call dibs on a word like "paper", and this was a risk they should have taken into account. Either choose a proper (and trademarkable) name, or choose a common word and expect such consequences. You can't have it both ways, and I think even considering Facebook's Paper, FiftyThree have probably made the right tradeof…

What about something like "Square?" That's about as generic as it gets, yet is there any question as to what someone is referring to when they are talking about "Square" in the context of an app?

If Square whines about someone else using the name, I will say the same thing. It's a tradeoff, and they've made their choice.

Re: A letter from Paper (FiftyThree) to Paper (Facebook)

#43

Post by hatred »

thrush wrote: post #19

It's a matter of respect. Paper (FiftyThree) is a well known brand and app, so basically the Facebook developers were 100% aware that they were utilizing someone's name (at least they should have been), and therefore they went ahead to publish their new app with complete disregard for what already existed.

"We reached out to Facebook about the confusion their app was creating, and they apologized for not contacting us sooner."

Yep , And to add more salt to wounds, I hate such diplomatic "Oh Shit! Did you guys existed too ? We just did not know answers".

Re: A letter from Paper (FiftyThree) to Paper (Facebook)

#47

Post by ynniv »

fleitz wrote: post #40
ynniv wrote: post #22

People are going to call the app by Facebook "Facebook Paper" because "Paper" is simply too generic. 53's drawing app name is not strong either. Their iOS app is not called "Paper", but "Paper by FiftyThree". Their icon is not of paper, but of a napkin style rendering of "53". For all intents, the drawing simulation brand name is "FiftyThree". There was a brief moment in history when people thought "I wonder if 53 wa…

And 'facebook' is original? FB's legal team has a hernia anytime someone on the web uses face or book, perhaps they should take their own advice? If it continues it might be funny for 53 to release Paper Facebook.

"Facebook" is also pretty generic, but when you have enough well paid lawyers these things matter less.

Also, it is very unlikely that Facebook is attempting to benefit from 53's brand. Facebook wanted to call their product something descriptive, and the names collided. Compare this to any name involving "Facebook", which likely is attempting to benefit. Outside of a directly competing service, it's unlikely that the name of a product would include the word "Facebook". This makes "Facebook" less generic and more enforceable than "Paper".

Re: A letter from Paper (FiftyThree) to Paper (Facebook)

#48

Post by [deleted] »

pron wrote: post #35
thrush wrote: post #19

It's a matter of respect. Paper (FiftyThree) is a well known brand and app, so basically the Facebook developers were 100% aware that they were utilizing someone's name (at least they should have been), and therefore they went ahead to publish their new app with complete disregard for what already existed.

On the other hand, FiftyThree have chosen a very common English word for their product name. You can't call dibs on a word like "paper", and this was a risk they should have taken into account. Either choose a proper (and trademarkable) name, or choose a common word and expect such consequences. You can't have it both ways, and I think even considering Facebook's Paper, FiftyThree have probably made the right tradeof…

[deleted]

Re: A letter from Paper (FiftyThree) to Paper (Facebook)

#49

Post by personlurking »

untilHellbanned wrote: post #14

I feel for FiftyThree but the ship of anyone caring of FB's missteps has long sailed. FB being the first $1 trillion company seems inevitable. FB is the borg of all borgs.

A slightly related anecdote: Yesterday I saw grafitti that said "resistance is fertile". A good twist, I thought, especially for potential startups that could go the way of "let's make another photo app" vs. "let's solve something important".
Post reply on HN