The Second Stage Of The Radiohead Experiment

NSFW Trademark Actually NSF Those Without Humor

from the chill-out dept

Tue, Dec 11th 2007 1:29pm — Mike Masnick

A bunch of folks have been sending in the fact that the ever-popular (reasonably so, I should add) Fark has registered for a trademark on "NSFW," the popular abbreviation used widely across the internet that stands for "Not Safe For Work." We ignored the story, as we knew it had to be some sort of joke or prank, fitting with Fark's (or just Drew Curtis') outlook on life. However, the stories about the trademark application have gotten so bad that Curtis had to post a "calm down guys" post about it himself -- though he won't say what sort of prank he's planning to pull. The trademark app itself is real -- though Drew clearly has something else planned beyond just the trademark. Either way, the whole story is reminiscent of Despair Inc.'s successful trademark of :-( years ago. That, too, was something of a joke, though (again) many people didn't get it and angrily responded to the company (Drew, consider yourself warned...). Of course, all of this would be fun and games if there weren't more serious legal battles involving similar trademarks -- such as the worldwide fight over who gets to trademark the smiley face. No matter what Drew's got planned, it's unclear if it can be any more absurd than real life trademark ridiculousness.

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Filed Under: fark, nsfw, trademarks

11 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 11 Dec 2007 @ 2:04pm

How can anyone trademark the smiley face? It's been in the public domain for about 40 years.
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Bes, 11 Dec 2007 @ 2:10pm

I purchased my right to use the smiley a long time ago off despair.com. Seeing as it is free to do so.
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Thom, 11 Dec 2007 @ 2:28pm

Jokes hoax
I'm not so sure there's a Fark/Curtis joke at work here. Instead I think the potential prank in the works idea was thrown out in response to the uproar - to calm the crowd and avoid a riot.

I'm betting it was a legit attempt to get and control NSFW, perhaps to prevent another entity from later seeking control and farking, umm extorting, Fark.

Then again Drew may have recognized the potential for publicity and jumped at the chance... but personally I doubt this - I don't think he's that ahead of the game.
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Duke Suks, 11 Dec 2007 @ 2:33pm

NSFW and Fark
We all know the squirrel is making him do it. Its holding his nuts.
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GeneralEmergency (profile), 11 Dec 2007 @ 2:35pm

Hmmm...
Time to start up that TLA and FLA trademark squatting business before they're all taken!
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Smarm, 11 Dec 2007 @ 2:36pm

I don't buy that this was a joke for a minute. It's certainly not funny. What the hell is funny about it? Oh that's right... nothing. "ROL jackass submits fake trademark app ROL"--no thanks.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Dec 2007 @ 3:55pm

Let's all watch the comments for the people who "don't buy that this was a joke for a minute" and who think that "it's certainly not funny" or who think that this prank is somehow complicated and "ahead of the game".

They're the folk who've somehow, as hard as it is to believe, taken this joke seriously and fallen rapidly behind "the game" and are now trying to save (pie-splattered) face with a whole lot of humourlessness and (accidentally) ironic condescending displeasure.

How's that phrase go...fark 'em if they can't take a joke.

(This post NSFW :-( )
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Alfred E. Neuman, 11 Dec 2007 @ 6:35pm

NSFW Trademark, pics or it didn't happen
Oh Noes! Everyone panic.
I think he did it for the lolz.
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moe, 11 Dec 2007 @ 11:15pm

Re: Jokes hoax
If you're serious in your comment, then you clearly don't know much about Drew or Fark.com.
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trademark registration, 12 Dec 2007 @ 3:05pm

Why are people so suprised by this?
Common words and phrases are trademarked all the time. Think of APPLE, for example.
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amosquito, 15 Dec 2007 @ 4:36pm

He's done stuff like this before
For those of you who don't think Drew is capable of pulling off a stunt like this:

MeraFulter
Pravda
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