Facebook is suing a new teacher’s community website called Teachbook.com, for using the word ‘book’ in its name, according to court records.

Facebook is understood to have filed the complaint in a Californian district court last Wednesday. The social network, which signed up its 500 millionth member last month, has also accused Teachbook of trademark infringement, trademark dilution and unfair competition.

Teachbook, an American-based web company, which is set to fully launch later this year, currently has 47 members.

Greg Shrader, a managing partner at Teachbook, told CNN: "At the end of the day, they`re just trying to bully us and we`re not going to roll over. We have every intention of filing an opposition in a month or so."

He also said that Facebook’s filing struck him as “greedy. We’re a two-person company – I don’t know how a multibillion-dollar site sees us as a threat”.

Shrader added that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved Teachbook’s company name in 2009, despite Facebook`s protests at that time.

BDST: 1745 HRS, 28 August 2010