Figma sent Lovable a cease-and-desist over “Dev Mode.” The phrase is ordinary developer language, which is exactly why using it as a legal weapon bothers me.
Figma’s Trademark List
The April 2025 dispute led me to this mix of brands and software terms in a third-party filing index. The table is my interpretation, not a current inventory of registrations; that index was blocked during this review:
| Term | My read | Why |
|---|---|---|
| FIGMA, FIGJAM | Distinctive | Recognizable product names |
| DEV MODE | Descriptive | Universal shorthand for developer mode |
| CONFIG, SCHEMA | Descriptive | Everyday software and database terms |
| SUMMIT, FORGE | Crowded | Common names for products and events |
| NOTHING GREAT IS MADE ALONE | Slogan | Brand language rather than a software term |
The Worst Offenders
FIGMA and FIGJAM make sense as brand names. DEV MODE does not. Chrome, Xbox, Jira, and open-source projects have used the phrase for years (see The Verge). CONFIG and SCHEMA bother me for the same reason: they are common software terms. A trademark does not confer ownership of a word in every context; its scope depends on use and the covered goods or services. SUMMIT and FORGE are already crowded by companies such as Microsoft and Atlassian.
Why the Legal Ground Is Weak
The boundary matters Protecting FIGMA is ordinary trademark work. Claiming exclusive product identity in descriptive technical language imposes costs on everyone using that language.
The April reporting described “Dev Mode” as a Supplemental Register mark. USPTO guidance explains why descriptive terms can face registration refusals and how the Supplemental Register may apply. That is not enough to decide this dispute: a descriptive term’s register status does not automatically make every use lawful.
Lovable Should Fight This
Lovable refused to back down, and that is the right move. Common technical language should remain available to the people who use it.
The principle resembles the one in public developer tooling: control can protect a business, but extending control into shared conventions makes the surrounding ecosystem worse.
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