Tech | December 28, 2008 | 9 comments

Corporate vs the individual: can a company rightfully take your username from you?

source: http://www.digg.com/tech_news/Room_214

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A "social media" company based out of Denver, CO is pressuring a teacher to give up his Twitter account with the same name. The account name is room214, and the company is Room 214. They have allegedly sent him a direct message via the Twitter site which mentioned legal action against him in order to acquire the name. Colin, the teacher, does not use his account for commercial purposes. His account has no relation the company, room214, nor the type of online marketing that they partake in. He started updating on Twitter in April 2007. The name stems from the number of his former classroom.

According to the room214 company's website, they started as a company in 2004, but their current Twitter username, room_214, started updating on Twitter on December 20th, 2008. Their most current post says they are "working things out" with user room214. It appears that there is no trademark on the name by this company, although this has not been confirmed by room214.

On December 28th, the company room214's co-founder explained that an employee independently sent the communication mentioning legal action and this move was not endorsed by the company. He also said that issue has been resolved and both parties will keep their existing usernames.

Nevertheless, what do you think about this? In this case, there was no actual legal action - does a company have the right to take a noncommercial, non-related username from an individual regardless of the date of creation? If not, should they? Do users on internet communities have the right to protect their online identities?
  1. groups:
    Tech,   Learn,   Twitter
  2. tags:
    Tech,  Business,  Twitter,  Copyright,  3 more
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9 comments // Corporate vs the individual: can a company rightfully take your username from you?

  • CalgarC
  • EclecticBadger
    • 0
      EclecticBadger  

    • It does not matter whether a company has a trademark or copyright, they have no right to expect that every global net handle, forum name and blog account will automatically be available for them to utilise.

      If, in the case of "21st Century Fox" it can be proven that a domain or user account has been created as a means of cyber-squatting then the company may have a case, however it is up for the company in question to prove this, not for the user to disprove their intention for said registration (unless of course they admit to cyber-squatting).

      As has already been mentioned, for domain names companies may put in a compensatory bid in order to purchase the URL, and I see no reason as to why this might not also apply for a Twitter user name. But if the Twitter account holder does not want to relinquish the name then Room214 will have to create one of their own.

      How about Room-214 or Room0214?

      Problem is, now this story has aired expect every combination of user names to be cyber-sat-on in the hope of making a quick buck.

    • 3 years ago
  • mattbrawn
    • 0
      mattbrawn  

    • I really don't see how the company can take legal action against him if they didn't trademark it. And surely approaching him with regards to buying it might've been a better option instead of threatening legal action...

    • 3 years ago
  • telekinesis
  • JackHerer
    • 0
      JackHerer  

    • Twitter just suspended my account. I've only posted on there for the last couple of days. A few things about the Tennessee disaster and/or cannabis hemp. That's in addition to getting an abuse flag from Current yesterday for the same thing.

    • 3 years ago
  • edbr
  • telekinesis
  • tbowman131
    • 0
      tbowman131  

    • communism? more like a dictatorship or kingdom... that's why unions are so important. they represent democracy in the workplace

      and whatever happened to just asking nicely? i'm sure he would have given it up

    • 3 years ago
  • jubal
    • 0
      jubal  

    • Corporations are the new Communism. They seek to destroy individuality. I am totally against companies taking away people's user names, unless they have a trade mark and they can prove the use of the name is infringing on such trademark.

      Otherwise, they should stop bullying people with fruitless lawsuits.

    • 3 years ago
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