The popular social-networking site Facebook announced that it will allow participants to register personalized URLs to direct interested parties to their Facebook pages (ex: facebook.com/yourname). The URLs are called ‘usernames” and can be created at www.facebook.com/username.

The program began on June 13 and provides companies with expanded marketing opportunities. For example, Facebook usernames are searchable in a number of popular search engines such as Google.

There are also risks. The program is being conducted on a first-to-register basis, so a company may find that its trademark has been registered by another party, potentially triggering trademark disputes and the inability to control use of a trademark by a third party. For this reason, SEMA recommends that its members consider (1) creating personalized Facebook URLs that incorporate their key trademarks or (2) preventing others from registering by entering the company trademark into a Facebook “blocked” term database. The trademark owner must have a Federal trademark registration number in order to block usage,

Note: If you did not have a Facebook Page prior to June 1, 2009, or if your page had less than 1,000 fans, then you cannot claim a user name until Sunday, June 28, 2009.

For additional information visit www.facebook.com/help.php?page=896.

To register a trademark complaint, visit www.facebook.com/copyright.php?noncopyright_notice=1.

The popular social-networking site Facebook announced that it will allow participants to register personalized URLs to direct interested parties to their Facebook pages (ex: facebook.com/yourname). The URLs are called ‘usernames” and can be created at www.facebook.com/username.

The program began on June 13 and provides companies with expanded marketing opportunities. For example, Facebook usernames are searchable in a number of popular search engines such as Google.

There are also risks. The program is being conducted on a first-to-register basis, so a company may find that its trademark has been registered by another party, potentially triggering trademark disputes and the inability to control use of a trademark by a third party. For this reason, SEMA recommends that its members consider (1) creating personalized Facebook URLs that incorporate their key trademarks or (2) preventing others from registering by entering the company trademark into a Facebook “blocked” term database. The trademark owner must have a Federal trademark registration number in order to block usage,

Note: If you did not have a Facebook Page prior to June 1, 2009, or if your page had less than 1,000 fans, then you cannot claim a user name until Sunday, June 28, 2009.

For additional information visit www.facebook.com/help.php?page=896.

To register a trademark complaint, visit www.facebook.com/copyright.php?noncopyright_notice=1.

The popular social-networking site Facebook announced that it will allow participants to register personalized URLs to direct interested parties to their Facebook pages (ex: facebook.com/yourname). The URLs are called ‘usernames” and can be created at www.facebook.com/username.

The program began on June 13 and provides companies with expanded marketing opportunities. For example, Facebook usernames are searchable in a number of popular search engines such as Google.

There are also risks. The program is being conducted on a first-to-register basis, so a company may find that its trademark has been registered by another party, potentially triggering trademark disputes and the inability to control use of a trademark by a third party. For this reason, SEMA recommends that its members consider (1) creating personalized Facebook URLs that incorporate their key trademarks or (2) preventing others from registering by entering the company trademark into a Facebook “blocked” term database. The trademark owner must have a Federal trademark registration number in order to block usage,

Note: If you did not have a Facebook Page prior to June 1, 2009, or if your page had less than 1,000 fans, then you cannot claim a user name until Sunday, June 28, 2009.

For additional information visit www.facebook.com/help.php?page=896.

To register a trademark complaint, visit www.facebook.com/copyright.php?noncopyright_notice=1.

The popular social-networking site Facebook announced that it will allow participants to register personalized URLs to direct interested parties to their Facebook pages (ex: facebook.com/yourname). The URLs are called ‘usernames” and can be created at www.facebook.com/username.

The program began on June 13 and provides companies with expanded marketing opportunities. For example, Facebook usernames are searchable in a number of popular search engines such as Google.

There are also risks. The program is being conducted on a first-to-register basis, so a company may find that its trademark has been registered by another party, potentially triggering trademark disputes and the inability to control use of a trademark by a third party. For this reason, SEMA recommends that its members consider (1) creating personalized Facebook URLs that incorporate their key trademarks or (2) preventing others from registering by entering the company trademark into a Facebook “blocked” term database. The trademark owner must have a Federal trademark registration number in order to block usage,

Note: If you did not have a Facebook Page prior to June 1, 2009, or if your page had less than 1,000 fans, then you cannot claim a user name until Sunday, June 28, 2009.

For additional information visit www.facebook.com/help.php?page=896.

To register a trademark complaint, visit www.facebook.com/copyright.php?noncopyright_notice=1.

Brenda Priddy's spy lenses caught this forthcoming small car offering from GM. Priddy says insiders and enthusiasts have dubbed it both the next-gneration Chevy Aveo or the Chevy Lecetti. But Priddy says that recent internet chatter has pegged it as the Chevy Viva, reported to be an American-built GM answer to the Ford Fiesta. It is currently scheduled to arrive in 2010.

As demand grows for compact fuel-efficiency, the Viva—or whatever the General decides to call it—looks to be a well-timed arrival for the New GM's lineup, and possibly for specialty-equipment companies geared for small-car accessorization and performance. Below is an artist's rendering of what the blank canvas may look like.

Brenda Priddy's spy lenses caught this forthcoming small car offering from GM. Priddy says insiders and enthusiasts have dubbed it both the next-gneration Chevy Aveo or the Chevy Lecetti. But Priddy says that recent internet chatter has pegged it as the Chevy Viva, reported to be an American-built GM answer to the Ford Fiesta. It is currently scheduled to arrive in 2010.

As demand grows for compact fuel-efficiency, the Viva—or whatever the General decides to call it—looks to be a well-timed arrival for the New GM's lineup, and possibly for specialty-equipment companies geared for small-car accessorization and performance. Below is an artist's rendering of what the blank canvas may look like.

Brenda Priddy's spy lenses caught this forthcoming small car offering from GM. Priddy says insiders and enthusiasts have dubbed it both the next-gneration Chevy Aveo or the Chevy Lecetti. But Priddy says that recent internet chatter has pegged it as the Chevy Viva, reported to be an American-built GM answer to the Ford Fiesta. It is currently scheduled to arrive in 2010.

As demand grows for compact fuel-efficiency, the Viva—or whatever the General decides to call it—looks to be a well-timed arrival for the New GM's lineup, and possibly for specialty-equipment companies geared for small-car accessorization and performance. Below is an artist's rendering of what the blank canvas may look like.

Brenda Priddy's spy lenses caught this forthcoming small car offering from GM. Priddy says insiders and enthusiasts have dubbed it both the next-gneration Chevy Aveo or the Chevy Lecetti. But Priddy says that recent internet chatter has pegged it as the Chevy Viva, reported to be an American-built GM answer to the Ford Fiesta. It is currently scheduled to arrive in 2010.

As demand grows for compact fuel-efficiency, the Viva—or whatever the General decides to call it—looks to be a well-timed arrival for the New GM's lineup, and possibly for specialty-equipment companies geared for small-car accessorization and performance. Below is an artist's rendering of what the blank canvas may look like.

Brenda Priddy's spy lenses caught this forthcoming small car offering from GM. Priddy says insiders and enthusiasts have dubbed it both the next-gneration Chevy Aveo or the Chevy Lecetti. But Priddy says that recent internet chatter has pegged it as the Chevy Viva, reported to be an American-built GM answer to the Ford Fiesta. It is currently scheduled to arrive in 2010.

As demand grows for compact fuel-efficiency, the Viva—or whatever the General decides to call it—looks to be a well-timed arrival for the New GM's lineup, and possibly for specialty-equipment companies geared for small-car accessorization and performance. Below is an artist's rendering of what the blank canvas may look like.