Best Buy claims copyright on the word "geek"

Bytemarks on Flickr

Best Buy thinks it owns "geek"

​Best Buy has already taken over the technical support world with its Minnesota-grown Geek Squad. Now, the company is claiming that it owns the word "geek."

The electronics chain recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to Newegg.com--an online competitor that tends to sell products a whole lot cheaper--demanding that it stop using a "Geek On" advertising slogan. The phrase, Best Buy argues, is too similar to its "Geek Squad" brand.

Since when did being a "geek" become a corporate product?

Best Buy's cease-and-desist letter claims that Newegg's use of the word "geek" and orange and black in its "Geek On" logo rips off Best Buy's established trademark.

What's more, the tech giant is upset over commercials on YouTube that it says portrays employees as "slovenly and uninformed." The yellow-highlighted section below spells out exactly what Best Buy doesn't like:

​Newegg posted the cease-and-desist letter on its Facebook profile, and thousands of fans chimed in to support the underdog against the tech giant. Here's an example:

​We put in a call to Best Buy Monday night to get their take, but hadn't heard back as of this morning. We'll update as soon as we hear more.

Meanwhile, here's one of the videos that has got the company so upset: