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Someone Copying me.

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Halls

Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Texas

Not sure if this goes here. I had a facebook group that was used for people to swap and sell to each other. I decided to close the group and make a website that has the same name that does the same thing, but better. Basically a city craigslist/ebay. So, now I have my business website with a facebook fan page with the same name. A disgruntled former member of the original group went and made a facebook group with the same name but with the letter S on the end of the name. My website is copy writed, but I am not sure if it means anything.

Can this person do what she did?
 


FlyingRon

Senior Member
So you copied craigslist and ebay and you're upset someone else copied you?

The term is copyRIGHT not copywrite. It provides only protection people copying your creative expression not ideas.

So what this comes down to is whether you have an defacto trademark rights in the business brand you are using. Sure you can try writing them cease and desist letters (looks better when it comes from a lawyer) and you can try protesting to FACEBOOK that they are infringing on your mark. If neither of those work, you can try suing. Whether you'll be successful nor not, we can't tell without more details.
 

swalsh411

Senior Member
Read the facebook TOS. You don't have rights to anything once you upload it to facebook. Now if that person is posting art or pictures you own, that's another thing. But simply restarting a facebook group you deleted? There is nothing you can do, and facebook won't do anything because their business model is people spending time on facebook.

My suggestion would be to make your website a better user experience than the recreated facebook page.
 

Halls

Member
So you copied craigslist and ebay and you're upset someone else copied you?

The term is copyRIGHT not copywrite. It provides only protection people copying your creative expression not ideas.

So what this comes down to is whether you have an defacto trademark rights in the business brand you are using. Sure you can try writing them cease and desist letters (looks better when it comes from a lawyer) and you can try protesting to FACEBOOK that they are infringing on your mark. If neither of those work, you can try suing. Whether you'll be successful nor not, we can't tell without more details.
No, I didn't copy them at all because it is completely different and just for my city. I was just using them as an example so you can get an idea of what kind of business I have started.

I ment Copyright, not copywrite. Thanks so much for pointing that out.

The internet is way to impersonable. If we were talking face to face I think our conversation would be better and you would understand me better.
 

tranquility

Senior Member
No, I didn't copy them at all because it is completely different and just for my city. I was just using them as an example so you can get an idea of what kind of business I have started.

I ment Copyright, not copywrite. Thanks so much for pointing that out.

The internet is way to impersonable. If we were talking face to face I think our conversation would be better and you would understand me better.
What does the copyright cover? Why do you think this competing website violates that copyright?
 

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