Figma made the headline in December 2023 when a $20 billion contract with Adobe fell apart after regulators intervened.
The letter was not directed at imitation. It was sent to Lovable, a promising AI development tool that is gaining attention, along with developers looking for smarter and faster ways to build. Figma claims that the term “Dev Mode” Lovable is infringing on the trademark.
Stop and denial letter to Figma’s Lovable
The letter is polite. That’s also clear. Figma asks you to stop using phrases, rename that tool, and love to remove all references from public content.
“I flatter you agree that “development mode” is the ideal name for a software tool,” reads the letter before asking lovable to stop using all of the term.
This is where things become interesting.
Does the new AI tool make Figma unrelated?
Figma launched its own “development mode” function in 2023 as a bridge between design and development. However, platforms like Lovable, Google’s Firebase Studio, Bolt, and Cursor are not currently trying to bridge V0. They skip the design layer completely. These tools are built for developers who want to ship production-enabled UIs with AI support and no design files or Cigma-to-Code plugins required.
And that’s the real threat. Figma is not just facing competition. It risks being irrelevant.
Lovable responded publicly with X, pushing back Figma’s claim.
“For context, I launched ‘Dev Mode’ into Lovable a few weeks ago. This allows you to edit the code for your beloved project.
Dev Mode is a common feature name used by companies like Wix, Atlassian, Figma, and Shopify.Currently, Figma claims that it needs to remove all mentions of DEV mode and call it another.
For context, I launched “Dev Mode” into Lovable a few weeks ago. This allows you to edit the code for your beloved project.
Dev Mode is a common feature name used by companies like Wix, Atlassian, Figma, and Shopify.
Here, Figma claims that all mentions of DEV mode need to be removed…
– Anton Osica – EU/ACC (@Antonosika) April 15, 2025
The developer crowd noticed. And they are not exactly siding with Figma.
One X user summed it up with a shrug and laughing:
“Figma says he can’t use the word “development mode” in his beloved 😄.”
figma says that the word “dev mode” cannot be used in a lovable way pic.twitter.com/7kwx7wvdwl
– Anton Osica – EU/ACC (@Antonosika) April 15, 2025
Trademark or not, “DEV mode” is a term that has been floating around developer circles for years. It’s hard to claim that it belongs to either company. However, the timing of Figma’s legal movements, combined with the lack of a clear legal threat, suggests something more defensive than protection.
Figma is no longer supported by Adobe. It stands on its own in a fast changing space. Startups are not just adding AI, they are building tools that they started from there. And the gap between what Figma offers and what developers expect right now is getting bigger week by week.
Sending a letter like this does not scream confidence. If anything, it feels like a response to momentum elsewhere.
And that might be the real story here: Figma isn’t trying to stop the name. It is trying to hold its place in a moving space without it.
Because every time Goliath panics, it means David’s Slingshot is working.
Here is a screenshot of the letter Figma sent to Lovable.
Here is a screenshot of Wordmark in Dev mode.
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