Freecycling, also known as Free Recycling, is the act of giving away usable unwanted items to others instead of disposing of them in landfills.[1][2] This term is most often associated with online groups who run mailing lists which offer items to members at no cost.
For a period The Freecycle Network held a trademark on the word "Freecycle" and claimed the term freecycling to be a violation of their trademark rights. However they lost this claim – and rights to the "Freecycle" trademark – in United States federal court in November 2010.[3] In her ruling Judge Callahan stated unequivocally that "Beal did not coin the word “freecycle” and TFN is not the first organization to promote freecycling" and that "even ... viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to TFN ... [they] engaged in naked licensing and consequently abandoned the trademarks."[4]