No unlikes yet for MP billboard
NATIONAL is in ‘‘pretty legal’’ territory after Otaki MP Nathan Guy used Facebook’s ‘‘thumb’’ icon in a Labour attack-ad billboard.
Despite Facebook not giving permission for the logo’s use – it strictly enforces the copyright – Guy said the social media giant had not raised any issues. Guy’s billboard, between taki and Levin and promoting a four lane expressway, featured a second thumb, upside down and coloured Labour red. According to Facebook’s guidelines, changing the logo – one of its most-identifiable symbols – in any way is a nono. It ‘‘dedicates substantial resources to the development and protection of its intellectual property’’.
‘‘In addition to seeking registration of its trademarks and logos around the world, Facebook enforces its rights against people who misuse its trademarks.’’
Pipers patent and trademark attorney Tom Robertson said it appeared the billboard was a breach of copyright and possibly also trademark rights.
‘‘It would seem that the thumbs up logo used by Nathan Guy is a copy of the Facebook thumbs up. There would seem to be no variation or creative input in the version used in the billboards.’’
Evolve Marketing managing director Brandon Wilcox believed the billboard was a misstep. ‘‘I just find it bizarre that a party supposedly protecting property rights would so brazenly infringe somebody else’s intellectual property rights.’’
In 2008 National got in trouble for using a song similar to Clocks by Coldplay and in 2014 for an Eminem-sounding song in a campaign ad.
‘‘They say once is an anomaly, twice is coincidence, three times is a trend,’’ Wilcox said.
He expected Facebook would, at least, issue a cease and desist notice, not least because the billboard implied Facebook was for National’s roading policy and against Labour’s.
Guy said his office had been in touch with Facebook, ‘‘and they haven’t raised any issues with us so there are currently no plans to take it down’’.