Twitpic is shutting down, holds Twitter responsible

Twitpic was one of the first services that allowed users to upload pictures to Twitter. The service, which got into a trademark battle with Twitter, says that that it doesn't have the resources to battle with the micro blogging site legally and is shutting down on September 25.

Twitpic was a popular service in Twitter’s early days when the micro-blogging site didn't support photo sharing. Over the years Twitter gained more features, eventually adding embedding photos a part of the main Twitter website and mobile apps. Twitter has also steadily narrowed the number of companies to which it grants full access to its API over the years.

In a blog post announcing the service closure, Twitpic’s Noah Everett notes "Twitter contacted our legal demanding that we abandon our trademark application or risk losing access to their API." The move shocked Everett "since Twitpic has been around since early 2008, and our trademark application has been in the USPTO since 2009."

“Unfortunately we do not have the resources to fend off a large company like Twitter to maintain our mark which we believe whole heartedly is rightfully ours,” Everett wrote. “Therefore, we have decided to shut down Twitpic.”

Twitter responded to the demise of Twitpic by suggesting that Twitpic was to blame for not listening to Twitter's warnings. A Twitter spokesperson stated: "We're sad to see Twitpic is shutting down…We encourage developers to build on top of the Twitter service, as Twitpic has done for years, and we made it clear that they could operate using the Twitpic name. Of course, we also have to protect our brand, and that includes trademarks tied to the brand."

Also Read: Twitter releases Analytics dashboard for everyone

Source: Twitpic

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Silky Malhotra

Silky Malhotra loves learning about new technology, gadgets, and more. When she isn’t writing, she is usually found reading, watching Netflix, gardening, travelling, or trying out new cuisines. View Full Profile