Urban Homestead, Urban Homestead, Urban Homestead!

There.

Now that I've got that off my chest, I can get to explaining WHY I had to get that off my chest.

It seems there is a family in California (the Dervaes) that owns a farm that has trademarked those words.

Seriously.

I'm actually a bit speechless. (no jokes, please)

It is unbelievable that people think it is okay and just to trademark words like this.  Isn't Urban Homesteading (also another set of words they trademarked) something that has been around for a long, long time?  Do they seriously think they are the first to think of it?

Also, wouldn't urban homesteading be considered an activity?  Can you trademark activities???  I homeschool my kids.  Can I trademark the word 'homeschool'?  I want to own that!  Yep, that's what I'll do.  I will trademark the word homeschool and no one else will be able to use it without my express permission.  What is the point in that??

Now, just so you know, on their blog, they have something written at the very top that says, "Despite recent internet publishing, we are NOT suing bloggers.  This is a false and unfounded claim."

There are rumors floating around the blogosphere that if you use any of the terms they have trademarked, then you will receive a letter from the Dervaes family informing you of your mishap.  Well, according to the little blurb on their blog, that is not true.

I am happy to hear that.  That being said, why did they trademark it in the first place?  The name of their business is Dervaes Gardens, not urban homestead.  And it doesn't even look like they trademarked Dervaes Gardens!

Here is a list of the terms they felt needed to be trademarked: Path to Freedom, Urban Homestead, Urban Homesteading, Grow the Future, Homegrown Revolution.  That list is on the bottom of their garden website as well as their blog.  It may be on other sites of theirs too, but I didn't feel like taking the time to look at all of their sites.

Anyway, I want to thank 'Tis a Gift to be Simple  (Check out her blog for more information about the whole thing.  She has a few blog posts about it.) for bringing this whole thing to my attention.  You never know, I may have posted about urban homesteading (there I go again using the forbidden words!) on my blog sometime in the future and I wouldn't have known I was doing something wrong! (Please sense the sarcasm)

So, hopefully I won't get a letter in response to this post.  Although, from their own blog I shouldn't get a letter; but if I do, I will politely apologize and explain to them the nature of the post and that I in no way was trying to take their business as I do not own an urban homestead so it would be impossible for me to take their business!

Please let me know what you think of all this.  Is it being made to be too big of a deal?  Are people not doing enough?  If you are bothered by this, you can join others at the Take Back Urban Home-steading(s) facebook page.

Also, if you have a blog, facebook page or twitter account, the people at Take Back Urban Home-steading(s) are declaring today (Feb. 21st) as Urban Homesteaders Day of Action.  They are trying  to "blanket the web with the words urban homestead and urban homesteading through blog posts, web pages, and articles."  I'm always up for a little activist fun, so of course I had to join in!  I hope you do too!

Have a great day!