Ferrari Sued For Taking Over Facebook Fan Page

H

HardOCP News

[H] News
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
0
What do you guys think of this case? Are the people that created the Ferrari fan page entitled to the billions they are asking for?

In their lawsuit, the Wasems say Ferrari, aided and abetted by Facebook, breached a contract with the Wasems. The deal they struck in 2009 never included handing over control of the page, they argue. The page's value has increased, and the Ferrari Facebook page now has more than 16 million fans. "Ferrari wanted it," the Wasems state in their complaint. "So, with Facebook's knowledge and substantial assistance, Ferrari took it, and they have both profited from what the Wasems created."
Click to expand...
 
Steve said:
What do you guys think of this case? Are the people that created the Ferrari fan page entitled to the billions they are asking for?
Click to expand...

I'd have to check the ToS, but most if not all websites if you have your own account if tends to have the "anti-squatter" internet laws to prevent domain squatting
 
Moral of the story, don't be a fanboy. Don't dedicate your page or website to a specific brand. Especially don't use someone else's trademarked term in your page name or web address.
 
ShamisOMally said:
I'd have to check the ToS, but most if not all websites if you have your own account if tends to have the "anti-squatter" internet laws to prevent domain squatting
Click to expand...

Anti-squater laws? What internet do you live in?

This is clearly theft. If the people running the fan page had consent from Ferrari to use their brand in a fan page then Ferrari relinquished any claims of ownership of the fan page. Even if the people running it didn't get approval it is still very difficult for Ferrari or any other company from saying they have an ownership claim. As long as the fan page isn't defaming the company they have no real claim for anything.

This is going to be a very annoying headache for Facebook and Ferrari.
 
the-one1 said:
Whaaaaa? There's monetary value to FB pages (excluding ads)?
Click to expand...

When the fb page is the ad, of course. Advertisers pay for access to viewers. A page with a certain number of viewers is as valuable as having access to that many viewers at the very least. More if you consider that it is targeted specifically at your target audience.
 
the-one1 said:
Whaaaaa? There's monetary value to FB pages (excluding ads)?
Click to expand...

Sure, hits are hits, anything that can get people looking has value. There's a pilot I follow who ran a fan page out of his own pure enjoyment of the brand and after a few years finally was offered a kind of sponsorship deal by the manufacturer because he had so many followers.

Ferrari obviously saw this as a smash n' grab so that they could own the page and all the hard work this guy has put into creating it and establishing a following. Pretty lame and I'll make sure never to buy a Ferrari because of this.......:D
 
I used to have a web site of tips and tricks for Sony acid music software, yes lawsuit and spyware happy Sony. Even they did not do shit like that, but gave me fee licenses to give away in contests and their entire collection of sample CDs. Then someone bought the domain and ran it in to the ground.

I do not think a facebook fan is worth $174, especially ferrari, most of whose fans will never buy one. maybe tree fiddy.
 
McFry said:
Ferrari obviously saw this as a smash n' grab so that they could own the page and all the hard work this guy has put into creating it and establishing a following. Pretty lame and I'll make sure never to buy a Ferrari because of this.......:D
Click to expand...
Ferrari does what Ferrari wants :)

They despite criticism about their cars as seen a while ago when they blamed the drivers on the 458 Italias catching on fire due to panel glue melting, because Ferrari sees their cars as works of perfection and are on a level of ego-centrism that makes the most rabid Apple and Android fanboys look tame. They also tune new models to specific tracks and add racing slick tires when the press is going to review them, giving them a perfectly set up car for the track and completely different than the consumer model. If a journalist doesn't like the way Ferrari spins, say goodbye to future invites.
 
anything i have ever heard about Ferarri in terms of news says they are a bunch of A-holes.
 
Ferrari's ego is as big as it gets. Every year at our local auto show convention in Miami Beach, all the big brands come out and show off their new model cars. Everyone from Ford to Bentley shows up to stretch their penises with their new 100K+ cars. The cars sit on the show floor completely open to the public with no walls, ropes or fences to get in, sit inside, look at them, get up close and personal with thousands of people visiting.

Ferrari has a special corner in the show room closed off with velvet ropes and 6 security guards. Only a handful of people permitted, you can't touch or be within 1ft of the cars and no kids allowed. There was also a time limit so you couldn't be within the ropes for more than they felt comfortable.
 
It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. See what real 'ownership' you have with Facebook and other social media pages.
 
Ferrari is interesting in that offline it's pretty obvious that they are cut-throat assholes. When you go into a dealer however, it's the complete opposite. My local dealer was totally welcoming and made me feel like a rock star, despite me telling him right up front that I could never afford one. They're definitely selling a lifestyle/exclusive club as opposed to a piece of equipment. And damn it, but they do a good job of it. They weren't nearly as pretentious as I expected.
After being invited to a few events and a test drive, I could actually see myself buying a used beater 360 someday, despite knowing that there are far better cars for the money.
 
I think a more accurate statement is that they didn't profit from what you created, you profited from what they created.
 
BladeVenom said:
Moral of the story, don't be a fanboy. Don't dedicate your page or website to a specific brand. Especially don't use someone else's trademarked term in your page name or web address.
Click to expand...

Well, this is what they get for being fans of a corporation.
Now they get to know what it feels like to be a corporate bitch, unfortunately.
 
This is stupid, Facebook owns the page and therefore they can't own it. Facebook chooses to reassign the page? That's up to them.
 
Well you do know Lamborghini started making cars because of how pompous Ferrari was? LOL
 
the-one1 said:
Whaaaaa? There's monetary value to FB pages (excluding ads)?
Click to expand...

Seriously. Facebook pages have almost no value and the company is probably the most overvalued one in existance. Who cares about Facebook pages and "likes", they are not .coms and "likes" have nothing to do with liking anything? The next .com bubble to burst will be huge and Facebook will be the first to fall.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top