yeah - i hate to be the bearer of bad news. On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 7:45 AM, Aral Balkan <[email protected]> wrote:
> Ah, so Twitter wants to see a *registered* trademark number? > > (As an aside: why do you hate your developers, Twitter?) :) > > The thing is, a trademark does not _have to be_ registered to be a > trademark. Products get trademark protection automatically. > > I guess if I don't hear back, I'll have the IP law firm I use to write a > letter first. Cheaper than getting a registered trademark. > > Of course, the best thing would be for a _human being_ at Twitter to say: > hey developer dude, we love you, sure we can do that... don't mention it! > :) > > (I just don't get this impersonal "computer says NO" attitude towards > developers. Is this just the corporate culture at Twitter or are you guys > severely short-staffed? Thinking Twitter really needs to invest in developer > relations. Maybe get someone whose job it is to handle developer relations > and champion the needs of developers within Twitter?) > > Aral > > On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 3:28 PM, anilchawla <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Raffi, thank you for the response, but it is disappointing. I have to >> agree completely with Aral that these requests are not for "personal >> use". Some of us have hundreds/thousands of users around the world who >> use our apps as a means to participate on Twitter, and it is >> ultimately those users who are affected. In my my case, I have had >> several users mistakingly mention or try to follow this inactive spam >> account (http://twitter.com/tweetymail) thinking that it was >> associated with my service. In the meantime, I am doing the best I can >> to communicate with these users using another account. >> >> FYI, I did not have any success opening support tickets for >> brandsquatting/impersonation. Originally, I was told to wait until >> 1/31/10 for the username to remain inactive. When I complied and >> opened a new request on 2/1, I was immediately denied. It seems that >> brand-squatting/impersonation/brand-confusion are all irrelevant... >> Twitter wants to see a trademark number. I am a hobby developer who >> provides a free service completely out-of-pocket, and now I need to >> spend hundreds of dollars to register a trademark just to get access >> to a username that nobody ever used? >> >> I see that you have also replaced the text of the FAQ entry with the >> more generic policy regarding trademark infringement. This is too bad, >> but I guess it answers my original question -- the existing entry was >> no longer valid. I certainly understand that Twitter can't always >> transfer usernames to app developers who want them, but there are >> certainly cases in which a username (inactive/never tweeted/created >> for spam) could be put to better use. A blanket policy on trademark >> infringement may make sense for companies and large brands, but it >> does nothing at all to help the small-time hobby developers who >> contribute so much to the Twitter ecosystem. >> >> On Feb 10, 7:34 pm, Raffi Krikorian <[email protected]> wrote: >> > hi all, please refer to >> > >> > http://apiwiki.twitter.com/FAQ#HowcanIreclaimaninactiveTwitteraccount. >> .. >> > >> > We are unable to transfer usernames for personal use at this time. If >> you >> > believe a Twitter account may be squatting on your trademark and >> violating >> > Twitter's Terms of Service, please file a ticket athttp:// >> help.twitter.com/requests/newregarding 'Trademark/Brand squatting'. >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 4:05 PM, Kyle Mulka <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> > > I also have this problem and have gotten no response whatsoever from >> > > Twitter. >> > >> > > Here's the inactive account that I'd like to have: >> > >http://twitter.com/twilk >> > >> > > -- >> > > Kyle Mulka >> > > Founder, Congo Labs >> > >http://twilk.com >> > >> > > On Feb 10, 6:41 pm, Anil Chawla <[email protected]> wrote: >> > > > Thanks, glad to know I'm not alone on this. I've looked at filing a >> > > > trademark but it is still frustrating to proceed through >> > > > lengthy/costly legal process in order to reclaim an inactive/spam >> > > > username -- especially for a completely free service. This entry in >> > > > the Twitter API FAQ is a glimmer of hope for app developers. I hope >> > > > someone at Twitter can help app developers get their specific >> > > > situation reviewed. In some cases, such as mine, it is an >> > > > all-around-win for the Twitter ecosystem to release these inactive >> > > > usernames. >> > >> > > > -Anil >> > >> > > > On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 5:17 PM, Aral Balkan <[email protected]> >> > > wrote: >> > > > > I had the same response :( >> > > > > Someone told me that the way to approach it may be to file a >> trademark >> > > > > dispute. This is what I'm going to be forced to do since it >> doesn't >> > > appear >> > > > > possible to talk to a human being at Twitter about this issue. >> > > > > All the best, >> > > > > Aral >> > > > > On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 6:04 PM, anilchawla <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> > >> > > > >> I develop and maintain a free Twitter application (http:// >> > > > >> tweetymail.com) and I am desperately trying to reclaim the >> inactive >> > > > >> 'tweetymail' username because it is causing confusion among my >> users. >> > > > >> I was not able to get anywhere with Twitter support, but I came >> across >> > > > >> this entry in the API FAQ: >> > >> > > > >> >> http://apiwiki.twitter.com/FAQ#HowcanIreclaimaninactiveTwitteraccount. >> > > .. >> > >> > > > >> I followed the instructions and emailed [email protected]. >> Five >> > > > >> minutes later, I received two simultaneous emails: 1) An >> automatic >> > > > >> notice indicating that support received my request, 2) An >> automatic >> > > > >> rejection indicating that Twitter is not releasing inactive >> usernames >> > > > >> at this time. >> > >> > > > >> Have any other app developers had success with this process? Is >> the >> > > > >> information on the FAQ still valid? Can someone from Twitter >> provide >> > > > >> an alternate avenue for app developers to have a request such as >> this >> > > > >> heard? >> > >> > > > >> The account I am seeking (http://twitter.com/tweetymail) has >> never >> > > > >> tweeted and has been inactive for at least 6 months. >> > >> > > > >> Thank you. >> > >> > -- >> > Raffi Krikorian >> > Twitter Platform Teamhttp://twitter.com/raffi >> > > -- Raffi Krikorian Twitter Platform Team http://twitter.com/raffi
