Facebook Delays Timeline Launch in Battle Over Name

Another site has 'timeline' rights
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 3, 2011 10:58 AM CDT
Facebook Delays Timeline Launch in Battle Over Name
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.   (Getty Images)

Whether you’re dreading it or desperate for it, you’ll have to wait at least a few more days to use Facebook’s new Timeline. There’s already an online firm called Timelines, and it’s not happy about the plan: The company, whose service is similar to what Facebook plans, sought a temporary court order to stop Mark Zuckerberg and friends from potentially “eliminating” it, paidContent reports. A judge rejected the request, but Facebook is delaying its planned launch while the legal battle plays out.

The judge did note, however, that Facebook’s Timeline already has 1.1 million “graph developers”—volunteers using an early version of the service. Facebook has agreed to hold off on the wider launch until at least until tomorrow, when the two companies have their next court date. Timeline had been expected to go live this weekend. Timelines, which has hired a top media lawyer, has a registered trademark for the word “timeline.” Facebook says it’s a generic word. The likely outcome, according to Jeff Roberts: Zuck gets his way, and Timelines gets a healthy settlement. (More Facebook stories.)

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