Apple Sues Amazon Over App Store Name

from the oh-yeah,-i-see-you've-got-one-click-going.. dept

Tue, Mar 22nd 2011 1:18am — Mike Masnick

While Apple has been making noises about how no one else can use the "App Store" name and even complaining to the Trademark board, it's finally gone legal, and has picked a big target. Apple is now suing Amazon.com for using the App Store name, claiming trademark violation. This seems pretty petty -- especially for two companies who have worked together on other things. For example, Apple has "licensed" the (admittedly ridiculous) patent for one-click buying. I wonder if Amazon can figure out a way to revoke that now...

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Filed Under: app store, trademark
Companies: amazon, apple

15 Comments

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Matthew Krum, 22 Mar 2011 @ 1:44am

Really??
Really?? Great, now I'm going to spend all day updating my flowchart showing who's suing who in the American business landscape.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2011 @ 2:20am

Apple, a company not previously known to overtly demonstrate panic over any situation, seems to be doing exactly that with regard to a number of new scenarios.
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Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 22 Mar 2011 @ 2:23am

Oh, good
I suppose any startup will now have to leave a slot for "Lawyers" in their business plan. It's become as essential as paperclips or cubicle walls or a well-designed logo.
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mike allen (profile), 22 Mar 2011 @ 2:38am

Apple say that app is short for apple well we have a apple store near where i live what do they sell er apples and other green grocery. oh established 1856 so if any one should sue...............
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Paul Hobbs (profile), 22 Mar 2011 @ 4:41am

The circle is complete...
This is only kind of relevant, but I love the ad for the new Motorola Xoom. Some of you may remember that back in 1984 (or even late 1983) Apple had a powerful ad about how when the Mac was released, 1984 wouldn't be like "1984". Fast forward to the present. The Xoom ad has all these Apple "zombies" listening to their iPods while the lone free person is reading the book 1984 on his Xoom.

I think it is fair to say that Apple has become that which they so vociferously decried all those years ago. Once upon a time Apple was Winston, but now they are O'Brien.
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Whisk33, 22 Mar 2011 @ 5:06am

"I wonder if Amazon can figure out a way to revoke that now..."

Maybe Wikileaks should tell Apple to double check their TOS just in case...
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2011 @ 5:52am

Yet one more reason why I will never buy anything Apple produces.

Though the old reasons of them producing proprietary formats and over charging for limited functionality is pretty much enough.

Guess that's what you get for letting a megalomaniac run your company...
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2011 @ 6:50am

Re:
I hope his kidney thing fails and the guy kicks the can. The would would be a better place filled with joy and wonder. At least after the fanboys stop whining about it.
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Chargone (profile), 22 Mar 2011 @ 6:53am

Re: Oh, good
actually, you can do without cubicle walls, in some cases.
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NullOp, 22 Mar 2011 @ 7:24am

No doubt....
No doubt Apple believes the term "App Store" means "Apple Store". Big corps are always brilliant at deluding themselves. "If we think it is so, how could it be any other way?" is the thought here. Personally, I really want Amazon to win this one. Big business needs to learn they don't get to bully other companies just because they are big. But then again, that is how companies get big.
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Pixelation, 22 Mar 2011 @ 7:59am

Who is APP anyway?
So I Googled APP. The first thing up is The Ashbury Park Press. Down the list is a name more appropriate to this situation, Association of Professional Piercers. Apple seems intent on "piercing" Google, so I vote for that.
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Overcast (profile), 22 Mar 2011 @ 8:00am

It's like a bunch of bullys all in the same playground. Have fun guys.

I don't care, I won't buy any of it, lol

Kindle has too many things that suck about it.
iPad won't do flash.

I'm fine with a plain ol' cheap cell phone anyway.

And I've been finding a lot more charm in brick and mortar stores. Amazon really annoyed me with the Wikileaks thing, I haven't been to the page since anyway.

And Apple's apps - no thanks Jobs, if I buy something I must insist on using it the way *I* (the purchaser) intend. Apple's 'approved' apps don't provide that, so not interested.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2011 @ 11:16am

If App Store stand for Apple Store, then why do they call it the Mac App Store, which in their minds would mean the Apple Mac Store which doesn't make a lot of sense. You're not there to buy Macs, you're there to by applications.

http://www.apple.com/mac/app-store/

Furthermore, they use the term app in almost every sentence. Are they referring to apples or applications, because I don't want to buy apples for my Mac!
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2011 @ 10:44pm

Well App might standard for apple, but Amazon doesn't call theirs App Store like Apple, they call theirs Appstore, so one word where app can never mean apple.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2011 @ 9:41pm

Re: The circle is complete...
apple was always obrien. think about it.
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