Shocking News: Reddit has trademarks for forum names like "Explain Like I'm Five" registered on USPTO. - eviltoast

I thought stuff like “Explain Like I’m Five” and “AMA” was proprietary to the community, or at least the Reddit community, not Reddit as a company.

I checked and I found at least those subreddit forum names were registered as trademarks.

  • TODAY I LEARNED (TIL)
  • SHOWERTHOUGHTS
  • EXPLAIN LIKE I’M FIVE
  • NOSLEEP
  • AM I THE ASSHOLE?
  • IAMA
  • RPAN (actual subreddit name is R/PAN but they messed up the word mark for the registration I think.)
  • ASK REDDIT (makes sense since this includes Reddit’s name.)
  • NATURE IS FUCKING LIT (I thought you couldn’t register word marks with swearing but I guess I’m wrong. Must be only for offensive terms then…)
  • ASK ME ANYTHING (yes somehow this “generic term” is a trademark now…")
  • AMA
  • ELI5

Also they have some trademark registration applications for WALLSTREETBETS that have not been finalized yet.

  • 【J】【u】【s】【t】【Z】@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Nah, you get to use the website. Access to a computer system in exchange for IP created with it is a pretty open and shut case. The value doesn’t have to be equal, it just can’t be unconscionable. Buyer beware.