M.I.C. Gadget
A Chinese company has been forced to stop making the Facebook founder action figure. Fair to say that the social network firm didn’t “like” what was happening.
M.I.C. Gadget was selling the lifelike Zuckerberg Action Figure for $69.90 on its website, resplendent in a zip-up sweatshirt and Adidas flip flops. The 7-inch toy came with “Like” and “Poke” button cards, the Facebook icon, and speech bubbles so you could make your mogul say whatever your heart desired.
(More on TIME.com: See the full coverage of TIME’s 2010 Person of the Year, Mark Zuckerberg)
But now the lawyers have stepped in (and they don’t wear Adidas, but rather very expensive black shoes) and they’re clearly unimpressed. “Without the authorization of Mr. Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, you have manufactured and sold on your Web site the Mark Zuckerberg Action Figures to customers globally, which has used Mr. Mark Zuckerberg’s portraiture for commercial purpose and infringed his legitimate right,” states the letter. “In addition, Facebook’s trademark ‘F’ has also been used on these Action Figures, which has also infringed on Facebook’s trademark right. Your improper act has infringed upon the legitimate rights of Mr. Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.”
The company said that it’s agreed to Facebook’s terms and issued an apology. And it wasn’t like they couldn’t see this coming. M.I.C. Gadget has already been down this legally fraught road when they produced a range of Steve Jobs action figures until Apple stopped them in their tracks. It was thought that M.I.C. Gadget might have found a loophole this time around as the toy didn’t actually name Mark Zuckerberg, but rather the “Poking Inventor Action Figure.” It was all to no avail for the cheeky company, who are literally going back to the drawing board. (via TechCrunch)
(More on NewsFeed: Mark Zuckerberg’s father dubs himself “The Father of Facebook”)