Intriguingly, they’ve also used Steve Jobs’ words against him. While Apple applied for the trademark in 2008, Jobs apparently was quoted as saying, “Amazon, Verizon and Vodafone have all announced that they are creating their own app stores for Android.” You can see where Microsoft is headed with this:
“‘App store’ is a generic name that Apple should not be permitted to usurp for its exclusive use. Competitors should be free to use ‘app store’ to identify their own stores and the services offered in conjunction with those stores.”
Currently, Microsoft is using “Marketplace” for its Windows Phone 7 app store (sorry Apple, “place where you download apps from”), but even that is pretty similar to Android’s app hub, “Market”. Really, this argument could go on and on. [PC World]
wsDK_II
Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 9:41 AMYay, go Microsoft, stand up to the man!
olearymo
Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 9:55 AMwow. remember when microsoft was the man, and apple was the hippies?
Man. The world really changes.
boc
Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 3:13 PMThey’re all The Man – just in different situations.
Josh Mcfarlane
Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 1:09 PMI’m going to have to agree with Microsoft on this one.
If no-one stands up to Apple soon we’ll have to pay royalties for eating apples.
ranga
Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 5:14 PM+1 billion!! lol
Mick
Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 4:36 PMIf the “AppStore” was a brick and mortar shop, they wouldn’t do it. Even if it were a web site they wouldn’t persist. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an apple fanboy. I just think if they have trademark of a named service.. The AppStore being such a service, then they should have the right to stop other companies from riding their coattails
boc
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 1:02 PMThat’s not how trademarks work though – it doesn’t matter if it’s a service.
olearymo
Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 5:48 PMYeah, in other news, Caltex is trademarking ‘Petrol Station’.