A potential rivalry is emerging within the technology sector as Figma has reportedly issued a cease-and-desist order to the burgeoning no-code AI startup Lovable.

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

Interestingly, "dev mode" is a common phrase used in many products for software programmers. It's similar to an edit mode. Big software companies like Apple (iOS), Google (Chrome), and Microsoft (Xbox) have features officially called "developer mode," which people then call "dev mode" in their information.

The term "dev mode" is also widely recognised, having been employed by companies such as Atlassian in products developed well before Figma's copyright, and it frequently appears as a feature name in numerous open-source software initiatives.

Figma has clarified to TechCrunch that their trademark is limited to the abbreviation "Dev Mode," excluding the complete phrase "developer mode." However, this is somewhat akin to trademarking the word "bug" solely for its use in "debugging."

Because Figma wants to own the term, they have to send cease-and-desist letters. If they don't protect the term, it could become a general word, and they would lose the trademark.

Certain individuals online contend this term is already generic, should never have been granted trademark protection, and assert Lovable ought to contest this.

Lovable's co-founder and CEO, Anton Osika, informs TechCrunch that, at present, his company has no intention of complying with Figma's demand and altering the feature's designation.

We will see if Figma takes further action. They are also busy with other things, as they announced on Tuesday that they had secretly filed documents for an IPO. However, if Figma decides to take legal action, especially an international legal fight, it could be expensive for the new Swedish company, Lovable, which raised $15 million in funding in February.

Also, Lovable is becoming a well-known name in something called "vibe coding." This is when users type what they want, and the product creates it, including the code. Its "dev mode" feature started a few weeks ago so users can change that code.

Lovable positions itself as a rival to Figma, asserting on its homepage that designers can utilise Lovable "without cumbersome prototyping tasks prevalent in tools such as Figma," a strategy many nascent startups are embracing.

Beyond a mere trademark dispute, this scenario also depicts a formidable competitor preparing to confront a troublesome newcomer. Figma's valuation stood at approximately $12.5 billion roughly a year prior.

A Figma representative basically said the same thing. They told TechCrunch that Figma hasn't sent legal letters to companies like Microsoft about the word because their products are in a different kind of category.

And Osika of Lovable is prepared to retaliate, stating to TechCrunch that he believes "Figma should concentrate on enhancing their product" rather than on trademark promotions. He further informed TechCrunch that Lovable is effectively attracting customers from Figma and similar design tools developed prior to the advent of LLMs.

Regarding the broader danger posed by vibe coding products, Figma co-founder and CEO Dylan Field predictably dismissed the notion in a recent discussion with Garry Tan from Y Combinator.

Field noted that while the swiftness of vibe coding is appreciated, there's a perceived gap between facilitating quick initial development and enabling users to complete projects, a challenge relevant not only to design but also to coding.

Nevertheless, Osika appears prepared to compete; upon sharing a copy of Figma's letter on X, he included a grinning emoji.