San Diego writer Janet Wilson has a mission: to entice reluctant second- to fourth-grade boys to read more. But Zynga wants to greatly curtail her efforts. Zynga has decided to lay claim to nearly all uses of the word "ville" on the Internet, earning it fourth place on Trademarkia's biggest bullies list.
Not just profit-hungry corporations but even nonprofits are laying claim to common words. The Susan G. Komen Foundation went after 50 others for their use of "for the cure." The Lance Armstrong Foundation attacked more than 70 variations of the word "strong."
Zynga didn't invent the word "ville." Nobody can make the case that Lucasville, which existed before Farmville, is leveraging the notoriety of the simulated agriculture sensation. Let's hope Zynga reconsiders its position.
--MR
