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Apple Sues Amazon Over 'App Store' Trademark

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,513
30,788



194052-amazonappstore.png


Bloomberg reports that Apple has sued Amazon over the use of the term "App Store". Apple filed the complaint on March 18th and is asking for a court order to prevent Amazon from using the "App Store" name.
“Amazon has begun improperly using Apple’s App Store mark in connection with Amazon’s mobile software developer program,” Apple said in the complaint. Amazon also plans to use the name with a mobile software download service, the complaint states.
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Amazon is introducing its own marketplace for Android apps and has called it the Amazon Appstore.

Apple originally applied for the "App Store" trademark in 2008 and finally got approval in 2010. Microsoft has been opposed to the mark claiming it is a generic term -- a position that Apple has argued against. Apple claims to have contacted Amazon three times demanding that they change their name, but Amazon has yet to provide a "substantive response". Trademark owners are expected to defend their trademarks against infringement in order to avoid becoming a generic term.

Article Link: Apple Sues Amazon Over 'App Store' Trademark
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/03/21/apple-sues-amazon-over-app-store-trademark/
ArtOfWarfare

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,560
6,059
Looks like they're looking to make some headlines via court battles... (Amazon, that is.)
 
macjonny1

macjonny1

macrumors 6502a
Jan 10, 2006
554
117
Since 2008, the term app store has indeed become more generic. Good luck fighting this Apple. It's the way it is now.
 
R

R2D2 xx

macrumors member
Apr 8, 2010
81
14
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8F190 Safari/6533.18.5)

also, amazon is spelling it with no space between app and store as in appstore.
 
RebeccaL

RebeccaL

macrumors 6502a
Jan 1, 2011
590
10
macjonny1 said:
Since 2008, the term app store has indeed become more generic. Good luck fighting this Apple. It's the way it is now.
Click to expand...



The issue is here is that Apple has a trademark on the term "App Store". Just like Microsoft has a trademark on Windows. Even if they are generic terms being trademarked make it illegal for other companies to use them.
 
S

samcraig

macrumors P6
Jun 22, 2009
16,779
41,982
USA
Apple can have their Apple App Store and Amazon can have their amazon appstore

No one will be confused. And the term app store shouldn't be trademarked.
 
jnc

jnc

macrumors 68020
Jan 7, 2007
2,304
10
Nunya, Business TX
macjonny1 said:
Since 2008, the term app store has indeed become more generic. Good luck fighting this Apple. It's the way it is now.
Click to expand...

"It's the way it is now" BECAUSE of Apple, lol. And if it's protected, Apple has every right to pursue this.

Amazon, start your lawyer engines.
 
Kwill

Kwill

macrumors 68000
Mar 10, 2003
1,595
1
Hey Amazon, here's some freebies:

Amazon...
  • Application Store
  • BunchoApps
  • Copycats
  • Downloads
  • Marketplace
  • MyPlace
  • Software Downloads
  • Software Store
  • Software Warehouse
  • SoftWhere
 
L

lilo777

macrumors 603
Nov 25, 2009
5,144
0
Is there any tech company in the world that is not being sued by Apple? I have to say that with Apple's R&D budget being as miniscule as it is they really make too much fuss about their patents.
 
G

garyhoare

macrumors newbie
May 3, 2001
21
0
Providence, RI
It's really unfair that Apple would expect the Android system to do its own R&D and marketing, when it's so much easier and cheaper to just copy what Apple is doing.
 
S

samcraig

macrumors P6
Jun 22, 2009
16,779
41,982
USA
lilo777 said:
Is there any tech company in the world that is not being sued by Apple? I have to say that with Apple's R&D budget being as miniscule as it is they really make too much fuss about their patents.
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And conversely, Apple is being sued by plenty of organizations for trademarks, patent and other infringements....

The only winners here, truly are corporate lawyers. At the end of the day - the consumer doesn't care and really isn't affected
 
milatchi

milatchi

macrumors regular
Aug 11, 2003
157
0
San Francisco, CA
Thank goodness for Apple!
I'm glad someone (Apple) is willing to stand up for the little guy against big evil companies that bully people like Amazon.com does!
 
E

Edmoil12

macrumors member
Jun 1, 2010
51
0
The term 'App Store' is about as generic as the word 'iPod'. People still refer to mp3 players generically as iPods, and I don't see this as anything different than if Apple sued if Google came out with an mp3 player that they called an iPod. Apple owns a trademark on the term 'app store', and it is fully within their rights to sue if someone else uses it if they see it as a threat. They don't hold a monopoly on digital software stores in general, so I don't see why amazon has to use the words 'app store' for any other reason than to leech off of apple's brand.
 
T

tomozj

macrumors newbie
Jan 29, 2004
29
0
UK
When someone says "the App Store", I think a lot of people will think about Apple's App Store.

That's the only legitimate reason I can think of which justifies Apple owning this trademark..
 
S

samcraig

macrumors P6
Jun 22, 2009
16,779
41,982
USA
milatchi said:
Thank goodness for Apple!
I'm glad someone (Apple) is willing to stand up for the little guy against big evil companies that bully people like Amazon.com does!
Click to expand...

Say what? Apple is no longer (nor can anyone refer to it as) the "little guy" Are you serious?
 
G

gatearray

macrumors 65816
Apr 24, 2010
1,130
232
jnc said:
"It's the way it is now" BECAUSE of Apple, lol. And if it's protected, Apple has every right to pursue this.

Amazon, start your lawyer engines.
Click to expand...

Exactly!

You know, Kleenex is a pretty generic term now, so any other facial tissue manufacturer should feel free to appropriate it as well, it's all cool, man.

Come to think about it, Coke is such a ubiquitous term for a cola soft drinks these days, other cola manufacturers should feel free to invent their own brand and call it Koke, instead. They can even write it in that same cursive font and everything. Kumbaya, can't we all just get along? :)
 
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