I Dislike the Dislike Button™

For some time now, there has been a grassroots movement among vocal Facebook (R) brand social networking site users, advocating the addition of a “dislike” button.  Now, I’m perhaps too liberal a user of the “like” button, but I have never been interested in a “dislike” button – I wouldn’t want it to be so easy for people to diss other people’s status, political views, photos and videos, etc.  Of course, if you don’t like something, you can write that – as I did when my nephew’s status was a sports injury.  But the “dislike” button would just make it too easy. 

Now there is a Facebook fan page called

Dislike Button™ is Finally Here! Add it Now!

I don’t know who started this page, or why s/he felt the need to include the TM symbol after it.  I don’t believe that DISLIKE BUTTON could be protectable as a trademark for something you click on that causes the word “dislike” to show up.   Sounds awfully generic to me.  But it’s all moot, I believe — my daughter tried the link and said it doesn’t work anyway. 

I did check the Trademark Office records and discovered that Facebook has a pending application for POKE.  I guess if you’re not literally poking someone, you can get a trademark registration for creating something really annoying to users.

Advertisement