Figma threatens companies using "Dev Mode"
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Figma has sent cease and desist letters to companies, including the Swedish AI startup Lovable[1], for using the term "Dev Mode," claiming it infringes on their trademark[2]. This action has sparked controversy and criticism within the tech community, with many arguing that "Dev Mode" is a widely used and generic term in the industry.
Background
Companies
In order to understand how these companies use the term "Dev Mode", we must further analyze what their products do.
Figma is a design platform, being widely used in software development.
Lovable is a no code app using a chat powered by the Claude LLM[3] that creates a fully-functional website based on the user's prompts[4].
| Company | Dev Mode claim in their website |
|---|---|
| Figma | Dev Mode gives you the power to easily inspect designs and translate them into code—without changing the design file. |
| Lovable | you can now view the full code repository backing your Lovable project directly in the Lovable Editor.[5] |
- Historical Use: The term "Dev Mode" has been used in the tech industry since at least 2004, according to Google Trends data.
- Legal Precedents: While trademarking common terms is not unprecedented, the tech community is particularly sensitive to such actions, especially when they affect smaller companies and open-source projects.
Incident
Figma, a popular online design and collaboration tool, has recently taken legal action against several companies for using the term "Dev Mode." The company has trademarked this term and has been sending cease and desist letters to smaller startups, demanding they stop using it. This move has generated significant controversy and criticism within the tech community.
Theo - t3․gg's response
Theo begins by highlighting a letter from Figma's general counsel, demanding that companies cease using the 'Dev Mode' trademark. He expresses his astonishment and disapproval, referring to this as one of the most ridiculous things he's witnessed in the tech industry. Theo shares his insights into the implications of such protective actions for Figma's brand image and its place in the market.
In the middle section, Theo goes on to discuss Figma's attempts to expand beyond its design roots into the development sector, mentioning tools like 'Dev Mode'. Despite these efforts, Theo believes Figma is failing to capture the developer market as intended. He explores the impact of AI on the design process, noting that AI tools have substantially altered the need for traditional design software.
Towards the end, Theo delves into the significance of trademark protection and how it relates to Figma's aggressive stance. He draws parallels to past trademark disputes, such as those involving Microsoft and Oracle. Theo considers Figma's current legal approach as desperate and suggests it may backfire, especially with an IPO on the horizon and a rapidly changing industry.
References
Theo - t3․gg. “Figma threatens companies using "Dev Mode."” YouTube, 16 April 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P73EGVfKNr0. Accessed 21 April 2025. Preservetube: https://preservetube.com/watch?v=P73EGVfKNr0
- ↑ Osika, Anton (2025-04-15). "figma says we can't use the word "dev mode" in lovable". X. Archived from the original on 2025-04-16. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
- ↑ Template:Cite patent
- ↑ "Lovable helps anyone create software 20x faster with Claude". Anthropic. Archived from the original on 2025-05-14. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
- ↑ "Welcome - Lovable Documentation". Lovable. Archived from the original on 2025-07-16. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
- ↑ "Versioning, Dev Mode & Lovable Livestream with Clerk". Lovable. 2025-03-12. Archived from the original on 2025-07-07. Retrieved 2025-07-18.