Editor’s note: This article was first published in November 2011, as a news item from that month. Its prediction that Facebook would sue Facedrink and force it off the market is the author’s view at the time.
An American entrepreneur, Barry Moustapha, has created Facedrink, an energy drink whose slogan promises to give you the energy you need to be social. As you can see, the “decoration” of the can is a clear imitation of the social network Facebook. The can even features a mock “Like” button labelled “Add as friend”.
This entrepreneur’s idea is very original and, to say the least, eye-catching online. Sold on Amazon and on its creator’s own website, it has already received quite a few orders. This business idea would be set to become the hit of the moment, if it weren’t for the fact that it has every chance of being sued by Facebook.
As we all know, Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t let anyone profit from his creation. He already sued Lamebook for having a logo and look similar to the social network’s. To avoid future problems, Facebook registered the word “Face” as a trademark, even though it’s a very common word.
Facedrink has committed two serious “infringements”: besides having the word “Face” in its name, it’s a perfect imitation of the social network. So if you want to try this drink, you’d better hurry, because we don’t think it will stay on the market for long. I don’t know what satisfaction its creator can get from knowing that his idea is certain to be taken to court by Mark Zuckerberg, but you have to admit the packaging is quite eye-catching.
Featured image: Robert Scoble, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
