We could be observing the potential development of a new conflict within the tech sector between competing companies.

The letter tells Lovable to stop using the name "Dev Mode" for a new product feature. Figma, which also has a feature called Dev Mode, got a trademark for that name last year, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark office.

It is noteworthy that "dev mode" is a prevalent term across numerous software products designed for programmers, akin to an editing interface. Major corporations such as Apple (iOS), Google (Chrome), and Microsoft (Xbox) officially designate features as "developer mode," which is subsequently colloquially referred to as "dev mode" in their documentation.

Even the term "dev mode" is widely used; for example, Atlassian incorporated it into products that significantly predate Figma's copyright, and it is a standard feature designation across numerous open-source software initiatives.

Figma told TechCrunch that their trademark is only for the shortcut "Dev Mode," not the full phrase "developer mode." However, it's a bit like trademarking the word "bug" to mean "debugging."

Because Figma wants to keep the term as its own, it has to send letters telling people to stop using it (even though, as many on X said, the letters were very polite). If Figma doesn't protect the term, it could become a common word, and the trademark would no longer be valid.

Certain internet commentators contend that this term is already generic, should never have been granted trademark protection, and advocate for Lovable to contest the claim.

Anton Osika, co-founder and CEO of Lovable, informed TechCrunch that his company presently has no plans to comply with Figma's request and alter the feature's designation.

It's unclear if Figma will take further action, especially since they are also busy with other things, like announcing their confidential IPO filing on Tuesday. If Figma decides to sue, an international legal fight could be expensive for the new Swedish company, Lovable, which raised 15 million dollars in seed funding in February.

Notably, Lovable is considered a burgeoning leader in the field of "vibe coding," a methodology where users articulate their desired outcomes via text prompts, and the application subsequently generates the complete code. Its recently introduced "dev mode" functionality empowers users to modify this code.

Lovable positions itself as a rival to Figma, proclaiming on its homepage that designers can utilise Lovable "without laborious prototyping tasks in software such as Figma." And a considerable number of recently established startups are opting for this approach.

Consequently, this transcends a mere trademark disagreement; it also signifies a formidable competitor preparing to confront a bothersome newcomer. Approximately a year prior, Figma's valuation stood at $12.5 billion.

A Figma representative basically agreed, telling TechCrunch that Figma hasn't sent legal letters to other tech companies like Microsoft about the word, because their products are in a different type of goods and services.

Osika, from Lovable, appears prepared to respond assertively, expressing to TechCrunch his view that "Figma ought to concentrate on refining their product's quality" rather than prioritizing trademark campaigns. Furthermore, he asserts to TechCrunch that Lovable is effectively attracting users from Figma and comparable design platforms developed prior to the advent of LLMs.

Talking about the danger of vibe coding products, in a chat last month with Garry Tan from Y Combinator, Figma's co-founder and CEO, Dylan Field, said it wasn't a big worry.

Field said that even though people like vibe coding because it's fast, "you also want to give people a way to not just start and create quick versions but also finish the job. That's where the problem is, and it's not just for design, but also for code."

Furthermore, Osika appears prepared to contend; upon sharing a copy of Figma's correspondence on X, he incorporated the grinning emoji.