New Facebook URLs raise cyber-squatting fears

Facebook is allowing users to register unique URLs for their profile pages

Facebook's new personalised URLs feature has already come under fire from experts who believe it could be abused by cyber-squatters.

The new service, which went live on Saturday, allows account holders to register more distinctive URLs for their profiles by choosing a specific username, which will then be displayed in the URL link to their profile.

"Your new Facebook URL is like your personal destination, or home, on the web," wrote Facebook designer Blaise DiPersia in a blog post.

"People can enter a Facebook username as a search term on Facebook or a popular search engine like Google, for example, which will make it much easier for people to find friends with common names."

However, experts from law firm Eversheds have warned that businesses could be at risk from the malicious registering of company names.

"There is a real risk that well-known brands may be targeted by Facebook users to gain a financial benefit or damage the interests of brand owners, problems which brand owners are already only too familiar with in the context of cyber-squatting," said Evershed partner Antony Gold.

Birgit Schluckebier, a solicitor at the firm, added that, although Facebook has put in place certain measures to counter the efforts of cyber-squatters, such as no transferability for usernames, brand owners must move quickly to mitigate the risk of abuse.

Facebook had given trademark owners the chance to submit their trademarks so that it could block unauthorised requests to register associated usernames. However, this service has been closed now that the registration process has begun.

Facebook has now said that any firm that wishes to report that a third party has registered a username which infringes on their rights, and wants to request the removal of a page, will need to fill out an automated IP infringement form.