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Comment by pytrin | Hacker News Reader

The legal issues behind this were posted here a few days ago - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5449226

The original blog post was removed (for legal reasons?), here is the cached version of it - http://goo.gl/E1gKN

I can explain. It was just a misunderstanding with Backupify! Backupify is cool. The name was trademarked because some shady companies were creating ransomware/shitty software and using World Backup Day to promote it. The lawyer was just overzealous with the stupid notices. :( I apologized to Rob about the other day.

But anyone can use the name! We just wanted to protect our visitors. I am just a college student and the site was hand-coded & designed by this awesome redditor who just graduated highschool.

hmm, though I question, who decided that is a the world backup day, its still is clear that it doesn't matter much, just like many other XYZ days that I don't follow.

But I don't see the need of legal actions around such a thing.

It was an idea from a reddit thread. I getting hammered in this thread, and I don't if anyone can see this. but the Backupify thing was a misunderstanding. It's okay to use World Backup Day!

I had some trouble with scammy companies and I wanted to protect people from thinking we were endorsing them. That's all

ah then its okay, don't worry if someone says BS about you. As long as you are right in your place, stay confident. It will only hurt, if you take it that way, just don't.

I can freaking declare this as the 'LOVE RIKA DAY' :P who cares about it anyway? if someone does, then good!

Thanks! I really appreciate that. It's just difficult to see the reaction here compared to happy reaction on Twitter and facebook. :) Your comment was nice to hear.

I'm not sure what the misunderstanding is. Didn't you issue a trademark on a community created idea and then hire a lawyer to enforce it? even if that lawyer made moves not authorized directly by you, this whole incident has a bad taste to it.

It was just supposed to be monitoring for some scammy companies and she got overzealous and sent a letter to Backupify (they are awesome and definitely not scammy). The lawyer said the best way to stop scammy companies would be to trademark it, I'm just a college student so I (unwisely) let them take care of it. Plus it was just an unnecessarily scary letter-not an legal action.

I just didn't want people to mess up their computer because they downloaded something that seemed to be endorsed us (fyi, we don't endorse anyone). That's all.

The original post said that they contacted you through the site you put up, and that you requested sponsorship ranging between $40k and $400k to be associated with this "holiday". That doesn't sound like you were just trying to protect public interest (which is not clear why you would think it is you who should say who can use that name or not).

from the sound of it, it is over, gone in the past. Mistakes happen, lets not publicly rip his clothes (lol). Sounds like he is sorry and its over. I hope so at least.

That was some proposed advertising packages on reddit plus a couple other things-I didn't handle the advertising. I'm really tired and sorry.

I just wanted want a nice event for everyone. :(

So which non-profit are you donating the sponsorship fees to?

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