IKEA Clamps Down Fan Site Founded By Malaysian Woman. Could This Be Their Biggest Mistake?
Why shut down a website that gives with so much free publicity?
By Mei Mei Chu — 18 Jun 2014, 05:01 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
IKEAHackers, a popular IKEA fan site started by Malaysian Jules Yap, is shutting down after being served a Cease and Decease letter from IKEA
Yap had begun selling ads on her site and later received a Cease and Desist (C&D) letter from the agent of Inter IKEA Systems B.V., saying that the site had infringed upon its intellectual property rights. Yap was asked to voluntarily transfer the domain name IKEAhackers.net to them, failing which IKEA would reserve the right to take any legal action.
marketing-interactive.com
Started eight years ago, IKEAHackers is a site where IKEA fans share clever ideas and hacks on different ways to assemble IKEA products
IkeaHackers began eight years ago, when a Kuala Lumpur-based Ikea fan who goes by the pseudonym Jules Yap began posting interesting examples of Ikea customers who assembled their furniture in new ways, hacks of existing products that turned them into new and exciting pieces.
gizmodo.com
As the site grew into a world wide community, Yap quit her full time job to fully devote her time to the site. She sold small ads to support herself, a decision that would later land her in trouble with IKEA's lawyers.
Since then, the site has blossomed into a booming community of fans, growing to the point that Yap began to sell small ads to support what had become a huge job maintaining the site. That's where the trouble began. Ikea recently sent Yap a cease and desist letter over her use of the trademarked Ikea name. As a result, Yap is giving up her eight-year-old website, as she explained in a blog post.
gizmodo.com
"IKEA does not pay me nor is this site their idea or in any way sanctioned or endorsed by IKEA. This is purely a fan-run website. However, in the spirit of full disclosure, I do earn from advertising, mainly via Google Ads, SayMedia, Technorati ad networks and when readers support me by buying Amazon or Parts of Sweden products through my affiliate link."
ikeahackers.net
After much negotiation, IKEA allowed Yap to keep the domain name 'IKEAHackers' with the condition that she does not sell any advertising. Left without any financial means, Yap is left with no choice but to rename the site in order to sustain herself.
After negotiation, she was allowed to keep the domain name IKEAhackers.net on the basis that the site remained non-commercial. “I agreed to that demand. Because the name IKEAhackers is very dear to me and I am soooo reluctant to give it up. I love this site’s community and what we have accomplished in the last 8 years. Secondly, I don’t have deep enough pockets to fight a mammoth company in court,” said Yap in her blogpost.
marketing-interactive.com
“IKEAhackers.net was set up in 2006 and truly not with the intent to exploit their mark. I was a just crazy fan. In retrospect, a naive one too. It is not an excuse but that was just how it was when I registered IKEAhackers. Over the last 8 years the site has grown so much that I could not juggle the demands of a full time job and managing IKEAhackers. It also costs quite a bit to run a site this large. Since IKEA® does not pay me a cent, I turned to advertising to support myself and this site.” "Now by June 23rd, I would need to take down the ads, not earn any income and still advance their brand on this site. Wonderful!"
ikeahackers.net
IKEA's decision to shut down IKEAHackers has angered netizens around the world, calling it a "bad PR move"
As a fan site devoted to IKEA, IKEAHackers fostered a devoted community of people who love talking about all things IKEA, effectively generating free publicity for the global company
This is a huge mistake for Ikea, a company that prospers from the devotion of its fans. It's hard to find a person who doesn't foster a little kernel of Ikea love in their heart, like a Swedish meatball warming on a metal rack.
gizmodo.com
IkeaHackers is a place to talk about that love and share creative ideas about it. It's harmless fun, a burgeoning community of fans who are excited about Ikea and the hidden genius of its products. And what's more, it gets more people excited about the company (and into its stores).
gizmodo.com
By shutting down a much-loved site that shows people creative new ways to assemble their products, IKEA is sending a message that the only way to put together its products is by following their guidelines
Now, Ikea is sending a message that there's only one way to put together its products, and it's written in pictograms on the paper they come with. It's petty and tone deaf, a rare misstep for a company that has a knack for good PR. Instead of encouraging a blogger who has spent years creating what amounts to free publicity for Ikea—and helping people find more reasons to buy products they may otherwise have overlooked—the company is bullying her over a tiny amount of advertising revenue.
gizmodo.com
What's even worse is that Ikea's maneuvering might not even hold water, legally speaking, as Cory Doctorow explained yesterday: Ikea's C&D is, as a matter of law, steaming bullshit... The fact that money changes hands on Ikeahackers (which Ikea's lawyers seem most upset about) has no bearing on the trademark analysis. There is no chance of confusion or dilution from Ikeahackers' use of the mark. This is pure bullying, an attempt at censorship.
gizmodo.com
Following heavy criticism, IKEA released a statement explaining that "when other companies use the IKEA name for economic gain, it creates confusion and rights are lost."
We very much appreciate the interest in our products and the fact that there are people around the world that love our products as much as we do. At the same time we have a great responsibility for our customers, they should always be able to trust the IKEA brand. High quality and good service are essential elements of this. Another important aspect is that the many people want to know what really is connected to IKEA – and what is not.
gizmodo.com
For that reason the IKEA name and brand must be used correctly. When other companies use the IKEA name for economic gain, it creates confusion and rights are lost.
gizmodo.com
Therefore we are happy for the agreement between Inter IKEA Systems and IKEA Hackers. IKEA Hackers may continue as a fan-based blog/webpage without commercial elements, just like it started some years ago.
gizmodo.com
But beyond legal and PR issues, Yap is crushed that after all these years of publicising IKEA, the company could not even reach out to her with tact
"Needless to say, I am crushed. I don’t have an issue with them protecting their trademark but I think they could have handled it better. I am a person, not a corporation. A blogger who obviously is on their side. Could they not have talked to me like normal people do without issuing a C&D?"
ikeahackers.net
"Most of all, no matter how the future of IKEAhackers turns, I want to thank you for being a part of this community. Because of your support over the years the site has grown to be what it is today – a community that I am really proud of. It is a joy for me to showcase your hacks and share your inspiration with the world."
ikeahackers.net
"I am a person, not a corporation. A blogger who obviously is on their side. Could they not have talked to me like normal people do without issuing a C&D?"
