For those interested, in 2002 Sony Ericsson released their P800 smart phone device - below shown sporting Doom3D.
In 2003, this device came was blissed with what was called an Application Shop. Said shop existed both online, and client-side. The client side shop was basically a catalogue, with screenshots, reviews, descriptions etc. Further, it was neatly categorized depending on the nature of the application. Payments were processed by the application itself, making app purchases safe and easy.
And I think this is very different. If they called it "Groc Store" that would be similar. If no one was using "Groc Store" then that would be more similar.
People talk about App Store being generic. It isn't. The name didn't exist before. Isn't "Apple" generic by the same logic.
If you create a name for a business that is unique you can protect it. Often those name can be simple. Apple have used a name that has stuck so damned well that others want to use it.
Apple are very good at this. I remember before Apple launched there tablet everyone called what they had a tablet or slate. Apple introduced the word Pad and then a whole bunch used the same name. They never sought protection of this name and it may have been used prior. It's just a good example of Apple naming products and services well.
p.s.
it had a grid of icons too. quite sure the handset icon was green as well.
On another note... Google music's cloud logo is a damned close likeness of the Apple cloud. In fact when i saw it the logo invoked an image of Apple in my head. Very clever Google. For now. Apple has to expect people will try and piggy back them. And they need to respond.
Apple is generic but non-descriptive; Apple are not dealing in Apples - thus, they are fine.
Apps are generic and descriptive; App Stores are dealing in Apps - thus, they are not fine.
As for the Cloud, as i recall it Apple has been shown to have "copied" its logo in first place. Second, if one uses a generic, descriptive icon to represent "the cloud", one makes sense in calling foul when others do the same. Same argument as with App Stores really.
Its a cloud representing the cloud - deal with it.
p.s.
Apple did not come up with the word Pad. Not sure exactly who did, but i know for a fact that Mark Weiser (PARC) used it in his classification of various-sized computers, back in the 80's. In 1991, he wrote:
The next step up in size [after Tabs] is the pad, something of a cross between a sheet of paper and current laptop and palmtop computers . . .
So yeah, they wouldnt have a case there either, if Samsung started selling the GalaxyPad (rather than GalaxyTab).