Apple isn’t the most creative when it comes to names, which is why we have things like the App Store. It’s a store that you buy Apps from. Pretty much says it all. Microsoft, however, isn’t happy about it, claiming that everybody should be able to use such a generic name.
MS wishes to stop the US Patent and Trademark Office from giving Apple exclusive rights to the App Store name, arguing that the name is too generic for one company to hold exclusive rights. As other mobile developers start making their own App Stores, the name should be more general, according to the protesting motion.
“‘App store’ is a generic name that Apple should not be permitted to usurp for its exclusive use,” claims Microsoft. “Competitors should be free to use ‘app store’ to identify their own stores and the services offered in conjunction with those stores.”
In a way, MS is right, but I fail to see the point in this fight. The App Store name as become synonymous with Apple, even though the name refers to Applications as opposed to Apple. Even if the name wasn’t patented, we’d all still associate it with Apple. Microsoft might as well come up with its own, better, more original name.
Microsoft Fights Apple Trademark on ‘App Store’ [Yahoo]
