Intellectual Property Law

Santa Claus is upset with Facebook.

Everyone, it seems, wants to be friends with Santa Claus on Facebook. In the month or so since he joined the popular social network, he's approved 5,000 friends. He could have easily gone viral by Thanksgiving -- when everyone wants to be "friends" with Santa regardless of whether they deserve to be. He could become the most popular person in the world on Facebook.

But unfortunately for Santa, 5,000 friends is all anyone gets on Facebook. To add anyone new, the man who says his real legal name is Santa Claus must remove someone on his list.

That upsets the man who runs the Santa Claus Foundation, which he describes as an advocacy group for children.

"It's hard for me to believe that Facebook would want to disappoint that many folks who might enjoy being Santa's friends," Claus said in an e-mail. "I'm not selling anything; so, I don't understand the problem."

He wants Facebook to make an exception for him and he's not above thinking about rough tactics, noting a report that Facebook lost users in the United Kingdom earlier this year.

"[I] can only imagine what could happen, should word will get around that it is now severely limiting the number of friends Santa Claus can have," Claus said. "Would this make Facebook the new Scrooge or Grinch?"

Those are harsh words given that Santa already got personal help from Facebook, since the site blocks people from registering names like Darth Vader or the Easter Bunny. But Santa was able to prove he was legally Santa Claus and a tech overrode the ban, making Santa Claus the Santa Claus on Facebook.

Facebook says the 5,000 friend limit applies to all users -- but anyone can make a page where an unlimited number of  people can sign themselves up as fans.

A Facebook tech already helped Santa create a page, but Santa says that having fans is not nearly the same as having friends.

"We hope this minor inconvenience doesn?t impact the otherwise good little boys and girls at Facebook come Christmas," spokesman Barry Schnitt said, adding that he hopes Santa collects as many fans as he can.

Santa isn't the first to reach or complain about the limit -- prominent tech bloggers Robert Scoble and Jason Calcanis have both hit the limits. The limit is intended to keep Facebook resembling how real world social networks work since no one really has 5,000 friends.

There may also be technical reasons that make the limit necessary.

One wonders if Facebook actually does raise the limit just for Santa, how will they say no come spring when the Easter Bunny gets hopping mad about the limit?

See Also:

• Researchers Use Facebook App to Create Zombie Army - Update
• GOP Site 'Barackbook' Mocks Obama's Facebook Support
• Facebook Beacon Tracking Program Draws Privacy Lawsuit
• Canadian Law Clinic: Facebook Violates Canadian Privacy Law