Figma, the collaborative interface design platform, has precociously trademarked the term “Dev Mode.” Accordingly, they filed a cease-and-desist letter against Lovable, a new upstart no-code AI firm. As a result, last year the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office upheld Figma’s trademark registration against a challenge. Importantly, this trademark only applies to the shortcut “Dev Mode,” and not the more general concept of “developer mode.”
The fight started when Lovable incorporated the phrase “Dev Mode” into its marketing for a new product feature. The company positions itself as a competitor to Figma, with a homepage declaration aimed at designers: they can utilize Lovable “without tedious prototyping work in tools like Figma.” This assertion puts Lovable squarely in Figma’s competitive field, leading to the lawsuit.
Figma just released their new “Dev Mode” feature a few weeks ago, making it easier than ever to edit code while you’re revising an entire project. Dylan Field, Figma’s co-founder and CEO, highlighted the necessity of providing a seamless transition from prototyping to final product delivery. He stated, “You want to give people a way to not just get started and prototype rapidly but get to the finish line.” Field was passionate about the hand-off or transition between design and code creation. He shared that the industry is in desperate need of tools to fill this gap.
Though they did receive an eventual cease-and-desist letter from Figma’s legal team, Lovable’s co-founder Anton Osika doesn’t seem too worried. To that end, he’s previously teased that the startup would continue using “Dev Mode” in its public-facing branding and product offering. This decision demonstrates their faith in ultimately prevailing on the merits of that trademark dispute.
Despite this, Figma has not pursued similar actions against any other major tech companies. To illustrate, it hasn’t stopped Microsoft from similarly using “dev mode” across platforms without any consequences. The difference is in the identification of goods and services; Figma specifically provides design tools. This indicates a calculated intent to use its trademark protection strategically, going after direct competitors in its own field while ignoring the rest.
The term “Dev Mode” isn’t just a Figma thing. In fact it’s a term Apple, Google, and Microsoft all like to use informally to refer to their own developer modes. The term these companies use in their documentation to refer to this facet of the SDK is “developer mode.” Quite frequently, they more casually call it “dev mode.” This widespread usage may make it hard for Figma to succeed on the enforceability of its trademark claim.
Figma is now valued at around $12.5 billion, cementing its place as the industry’s premier design tool. No wonder then that Lovable just raised a $15 million seed round in February. This milestone is further evidence of increasing demand and commitment to the no-code space. The startup aims to simplify design processes and reduce reliance on traditional tools.
Field has shared his skepticism regarding so-called “vibe coding” products, which emphasize rapid development at the potential cost of project suitability. He remarked, “That’s where the disconnect is, and not just for design, but for code.” This orientation helps remind all of us at Figma that our responsibility goes beyond just offering powerful solutions to design teams or development teams individually.
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