From a few hours, the social network Facebook allows users to choose a username. The advantage of choosing the 'username is clear: whereas hitherto each profile was characterized by a random series of numbers, you can now access the profile or fan page through a URL much easier to remember and catchy (www.facebook.com / username).

Here the announcement of Facebook and the FAQ page on the registration process.

The vanity URLs can definitely be a good marketing tool, but at the same time, a new frontier for cybersquatting ; celebrities and trademark owners run the risk that others will record the username corresponding to your name or your brand.

The owners have had the opportunity to register their brands on Facebook, in order to block URLs that match, but only for a restricted period of time (you can not compile the module ).
Who should find their own name or trademark already registered can report this to Facebook completing this form , but may be too late, the site Assetize are already on sale any username.

We'll see if the 'username squatting becomes a problem similar to the grabbing of domain names, let me know in the comments below what you think, especially with regard to how Facebook handled the pre-registration of trademarks. Personally, I think it would be better to give companies more time to protect their brands.