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Microsoft launches a European trademark fight with Apple
SOFTWARE FLOGGER Microsoft and a few other technology companies are disputing Apple's App Store trademark in Europe.
When the monopolistic tendencies of Microsoft and Apple collide, things get contentious. Microsoft is already fighting Apple in the US over the App Store trademark and it has asked the US Patent and Trademark Office to reject the filing.
Now Microsoft along with HTC, Nokia and Sony Ericsson have clubbed together to fight the trademark in Europe. According to Techflash, the companies have filed a formal application for declaration of invalidity in the European Union's Community Trade Mark office.
Microsoft argued in the US that 'app store' is a generic term that should be available for use by any company plying an online apps download trade. Microsoft even pointed out that Saint Steve himself referred to Amazon, Verizon and Vodafone as creating their own app stores for Android.
On the other hand Apple is sticking to its guns, saying that the registered trademark Windows is also a generic term. What surprised us is that Apple didn't go ahead with continuing to trash the English language by prefixing a lower case "i" to everything it puts out. That way, we'd have an "iAppstore" and none of this nonsense would have had to take place.
The irony, of course, is that this is all very cheeky coming from a company that was earlier sued for infringement in 1978 by a certain Apple Corp over its Windows desktop appearance.
We contact Microsoft for a statement on its European trademark fight with Apple and it referred to the filing and explained its position.
"Today's filings by HTC, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and Microsoft, like Amazon's recent action, demonstrate the breadth of opposition to Apple's unsupportable claim of exclusivity," said the Microsoft spokesperson.
"App store, like 'toy store' or 'book store', is a generic term that should continue to be available for everyone to use for stores that sell apps," it added. µ
Tags: Microsoft
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Microsoft was sued by the Beatles' label for the look and feel of Windows? I think you mean Apple Computer.
It is short for application store and that is exactly what it is, marketing would say App store has a ring but it is simply an App store, an Application store; otherwise it could have been iApp.
They were the first to market the phrase and concept but to trademark the term App store is just ludicrous and shows how ridiculous certain companies can be about protecting their bran; not just talking Apple but lets face it, this is huge waste of everyone's time especially my own ;)
IF APPLE PAID GOOD MONEY FOR "APP STORE" THEN THEY SHOULD GET IT. "APP" IS SHORT FOR APPLE ANYWAY, ISN'T IT?
THEY SHOULD CHANGE FROM "MICROSOFT STORE" TO "MIKE STORE", THERE NOW THEY CAN BE JUST LIKE JOBS MOB.
IT BOILS DOWN TO THE SAME DAMN THING THAT WAY.
That isn't the same situation (though still silly). In computing, the word "bookshelf" is not commonly used; whereas the word "application" is. Because trademarks (note that this isn't a copyright issue, it is trademark) apply only to the trade, Microsoft has far more justification in such a claim than Apple, who are trying to bookmark a common term in the industry they do business.
iAppStore or Apple Store may have the protection, but 'app store'?
Anyone remember when Microsoft Bookshelf was released and Microsoft tried to copyright the word 'bookshelf'?
Oh man, seems like just calling it "market" is a real bullet dodger here.