Microsoft's LinkedIn Attempts to Stop U.K. Trademark for 'KinkedIn'

Microsoft's LinkedIn Attempts to Stop U.K. Trademark for 'KinkedIn'

LONDON — British pro domme LadybossUK has received notice from Microsoft lawyers filing to stop her move to trademark the name "KinkedIn." The burgeoning entrepreneur was attempting to claim the name for her new online BDSM community.

“The kink scene in the U.K. is pretty poor, pretty behind the times and cloak-‘n-dagger,” LadybossUK said. “There are only a few sites worth their salt and none of them seemed to have everything I wanted: instant chatting, uncensored photos, video chats, a public verification process, chat rooms and an optional ghost mode to hide.” 

So LadybossUK teamed up with a technology-minded friend to create 'Kinkedin,' which she says has found popularity in Los Angeles as well as the U.K.

“We wanted to keep this as a personal site, built for the users and their requirements  — we want your feedback,” LadybossUK said. “And we want to address the fact that there’s a real shortage of ladies on kink sites, so we’ve given all women free access to the site’s premium areas. Lastly, we wanted to be affordable so we charge an optional premium fee of $5.50. 

“So far there’s been only one hiccup,” LadybossUK explained, “we seem to have encountered the Microsoft lawyers along the way.”

The issue arose when Microsoft filed a formal opposition in response to LadybossUK’s August trademark application filed with the U.K. Intellectual Property Office because of similarities to the name of its site, LinkedIn.

LadybossUK says that she tried to contact Microsoft for a compromise but was unable to reach its lawyers after a number of attempts.

She says time is of the essence as she has only a matter of weeks to build a case arguing for the trademark's legitimacy — namely that they target different clients in a different market.

“Any Kinky IPO lawyers out there than can give us some pro- boner — sorry, pro bono — help,” LadybossUK jokes, “feel free to get in touch.”

Follow 'Kinkedin' on Twitter and Instagram. Registration for the site is now open at KinkedIn.one.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

New AV Rules Take Effect for Ireland-Based Sites

Ireland’s Online Safety Code came into force Monday, including a provision requiring adult sites headquartered in Ireland to implement age assurance measures beyond self-declaration.

XBIZ Amsterdam Calls on New Startups for 'Spotlight' Program

XBIZ is pleased to announce that its new “Startup Spotlight” programming will make its European premiere at XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel Amsterdam.

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

JuicyAds Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

JuicyAds has won its World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the company's site and defraud customers.

Anissa Kate, Jordan Starr Top AEBN for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top-selling stars for the second quarter of 2025, with Anissa Kate landing atop the leaderboard for straight theaters and Jordan Starr heading up the gay rankings.

Show More