WASHINGTON, DC — Adding to the list of commonly used terms that may not remain in the public vernacular for long, humorous weird-news regurgitator Fark.com has applied for a trademark on the phrase “not safe for work.”Filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office on November 28th, the application (number 77338491) is vague about why Fark owner Drew Curtis believes he has a right to trademark the phrase, but it’s not too difficult to imagine why he may want it: “Not safe for work” and the corresponding abbreviation “NSFW” are used widely in forums, chat rooms, blogs, and other Web-based contexts to indicate that material a viewer is about to see might wreak havoc on their professional life.
According to the application, Fark seeks exclusive rights to the phrase in these situations: “Entertainment Services namely providing a website featuring photographic, audio, video and prose presentations featuring comedic captions regarding current events and online discussions and/or reviews of Web materials of an adult nature; [e]ntertainment services, namely, providing a website featuring musical performances, musical videos, related film clips, photographs, and other multimedia materials; [e]ntertainment services, namely, providing on-line reviews of photogrpahs [sic] and/or Web postings of an adult nature.”
Depending upon who reviews the application at the USPTO, Fark may find it’s come to the party a bit late with this one, given that a number of websites have for years used at least the abbreviation in their URLs and branding or as site-section headings: NSFW.com, TotallyNSFW.com, and the NSFW Comic Strip, as well as the NSFW sections of Atom Films and Funny or Die are a few examples.
Of course, the whole thing may be a completely Farked-up joke. Curtis responded to a post on Trademork.com by writing, “Can’t comment on the prank angle other than ‘stay tuned. Muhahaha.’”
After noting he has received numerous complaints about the application, Curtis added, “I’m guessing the complaints are from people who don’t read Fark, otherwise they’d know our end goal couldn’t possibly be suing everyone using NSFW out of existence.”
