After a little leak last week, Amazon has finally launched the Amazon Appstore, an application store for Android apps. However, it seems Apple has already taken issue with one aspect of the application store: the name.
You see, Apple has already filed for a trademark on the term 'App Store.' Though that application is being contested by Microsoft, who thinks it's too generic a term to trademark, Apple still doesn't want Amazon using it. The Cupertino-based company Friday filed a lawsuit against Amazon, claiming it contacted Amazon three times regarding its use of the term and has yet to receive a "substantive response."
Amazon likely thinks that ditching the space and using a lowercase 's' is enough of a change to Apple's 'App Store' term, but the company has yet to comment on the suit, so we have no way of knowing what it thinks. Either way, Apple is seeking damages and a ruling preventing Amazon from using the term so we'll keep you posted on this one.
Seriously, how the hell can a company own a trademark on 'App Store'?
Seriously, how the hell can a company own a trademark on 'App Store'?
Apple's way of saying "Thanks for the money, Suckers!"
That was Microsoft's argument, and a valid one at that.
this is why i'll punch a sales man in the face when they try to sell me something of apples
this is why i hate steve jobs , and his legion of possesed followers
this is why products froma pple cost so much
this is why products from many people cost so much
this is why i would punch my relatives if they ever buy an apple product
Indeed! Its silly how far the patent system have been abused and milked with generic patents. It makes it close to impossible to create anything new without stepping on at least a half dozen "generic" patents.
I thought the basic idea behind the patent system was to encourage development by allowing the creators of new inventions to get their patents and not be blocked by a zillion "generic" patents making it impossible to create anything truly new unless you have a huge corporations resources at your disposal! Silly world!
regards
Future head of Apple.
In all seriousness, though, this is absolutely absurd. This patent thing is getting out of control, and, the saddest part? The courts are allowing it. Just goes to show how messed up the legal system is as a whole.
Not that trade marks or names are the same as patents.
I guess one test would be that when someone speaks of an App Store, does the world think only of Apple's App Store, or just of App Stores generally? I would guess the latter given the wide use of the term 'App' (I remember it back on the Acorn Archimedes - so Apple can't claim they invented the idea of abbreviating Application).
Microsoft's challenge seemed and still seems reasonable. I wouldn't have expected "Amazon Appstore" to cause any degree of confusion with "Apple App Store" but then I might be giving the general public too much credit...