Apple's Trademark for 'There's an App For That' Approved

[MacRumors]

Apple's screenshot submitted as evidence of tagline's use
As noted by TUAW, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is moving to approve a registered trademark for Apple's much-used advertising tagline for the iPhone and App Store: "There's an app for that."

Apple initially filed for the trademark in four separate classes in December 2009, and was granted initial allowance for the mark in May of this year, although the company was still required to provide evidence of its use in commerce for the registration to become finalized. In August, Apple moved to divide the trademark application into two separate applications of two classes each, and also filed the required "Statement of Use" evidence that it was using the trademark in commerce for one of those divided applications.

Late last week, the USPTO granted Apple's request to divide the application and by Friday the government attorney in charge of Apple's application had signed off on the Statement of Use and authorized the trademark for final registration in the following classes:

035: Retail store services featuring computer software provided via the Internet and other computer and electronic communication networks; retail store services featuring computer software for use on handheld mobile digital electronic devices and other consumer electronics

042: Maintenance and updating of computer software; providing information concerning computer software via the Internet and other computer and electronic communication networks; providing search engines for obtaining data via communications networks; providing temporary use of computer software and online facilities to enable users to access and download computer software; providing online non-downloadable computer software that generates customized recommendations of software applications based on user preferences

While Apple has used the tagline extensively in its own advertising, the slogan has also been mimicked and parodied by a significant number of outlets, perhaps most notably by Verizon in its "There's a Map For That" ad campaign targeting AT&T's 3G network coverage.

Article Link: Apple's Trademark for 'There's an App For That' Approved

 

[GeekLawyer]

It's definitely their property. Apple coined the phrase and/or made it famous.

 

[TheAppleGeek]

I'm glad for them. It's quite catchy, too.

 

[DavidLeblond]

USPTO: There's a Pat for That!

 

[azentropy]

I'm surprised they haven't trademarked "You're holding it wrong"

 

[Consultant]

Catchy phrase. Apple should also add:

The knockoffs will follow years later.

 

[kazmac]

the best use of this slogan

was in this past seasons' Futurama episode that mocked the iPhone, Apple, Facebook and Twitter.

I will never hear this quite the same way again.

 

[TimSHB]

I'm pretty sick of that slogan. I hope this means I'll hear it less now.

 

[barkomatic]

So does this mean Apple can start suing Verizon if they continue to use "There's a Map for that?"

 

[fishmoose]

So does this mean Apple can start suing Verizon if they continue to use "There's a Map for that?"

I don't think so, I think the trademark only covers "There's an App For That" but I'm not sure on how this works.

 

[Eddyisgreat]

Guy 1: Man I wish I knew where the nearest pizza place was.
Guy 2: Hey there's an app for tha....
Apple police: Down on the ground! Don't move! (helicopters + explosions).

 

[dave1812dave]

How about,"It took us TWO YEARS to come up with...drumroll...cut and paste". sigh.

 

[BlackLilyNinja]

love apple but...

if this gets challenged they will lose. its too generic. I'm worried that corporations will have most of everyday life locked off with trademarks patents and copyrights. It will get to the point where we won't be able to speak outloud, hum a song, or change a dvd drive without paying licensing fees. oh wait.. microbilk already does that last one on the 360.

 

[thesmileman]

Guy 1: Man I wish I knew where the nearest pizza place was.
Guy 2: Hey there's an app for tha....
Apple police: Down on the ground! Don't move! (helicopters + explosions).

That is ridiculous.

They would probably just barge into his house and take his computers.

 

[HLdan]

if this gets challenged they will lose. its too generic. I'm worried that corporations will have most of everyday life locked off with trademarks patents and copyrights. It will get to the point where we won't be able to speak outloud, hum a song, or change a dvd drive without paying licensing fees. oh wait.. microbilk already does that last one on the 360.

You're so confident about them losing, it sounds more like you want them to.

 

[roland.g]

While it's a great campaign. Just like the Get A Mac ads, Apple needs to turn the corner on the App for That ads and go with a new direction.

 

[hexagonheat]

How clever of Apple. Sounds quite similar to the "There's a Visine for that" advertisement that came out years before the iPhone existed...

 

[roland.g]

How clever of Apple. Sounds quite similar to the "There's a Visine for that" advertisement that came out years before the iPhone existed...

Doesn't Ben Stein pimp for Visine.

 

[marksman]

if this gets challenged they will lose. its too generic. I'm worried that corporations will have most of everyday life locked off with trademarks patents and copyrights. It will get to the point where we won't be able to speak outloud, hum a song, or change a dvd drive without paying licensing fees. oh wait.. microbilk already does that last one on the 360.

If Pat Riley can copyright Three-Peat, Apple can copyright "There is an app for that".

 

[firestarter]

Seems pretty cheezy.

 

[roland.g]

If Pat Riley can copyright Three-Peat, Apple can copyright "There is an app for that".

And yet Phil Jackson is going for his 4th 3-peat and Pat Riley never got one, who should really hold that copyright?

 

[farmboy]

if this gets challenged they will lose. its too generic. I'm worried that corporations will have most of everyday life locked off with trademarks patents and copyrights. It will get to the point where we won't be able to speak outloud, hum a song, or change a dvd drive without paying licensing fees. oh wait.. microbilk already does that last one on the 360.

No, they won't lose--nobody was using the phrase commercially before Apple. It only seems generic because Apple popularized the hell out of it.

 

[*LTD*]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8B117)

Very smart. It'll continue to come in quite handy as the iPad spreads. Seems the App Store and the way apps run is the future of "applications" and "programs." The day will come when even the most powerful applications used on the Mac will be "apps" as well.

 

[orfeas0]

No, they won't lose--nobody was using the phrase commercially before Apple. It only seems generic because Apple popularized the hell out of it.

still you can't freaking copyright 7 consequent words! jesus christ that stupid patent approvers have no clue what they should do. RELAX WITH COPYRighting!! If i wanna say in my ad or movie or ANYTHING "there's an app for that", what are they gonna do? arrest me? Do they freaking own the words?
I see the new world order right outside the door of 2011 to 2012 tbh.

 

[WiiDSmoker]

So one moment you guys attest patents and now you applaud it.