Apple Sues Amazon Over Its, Um, 'Appstore'

Says it violated its trademark
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 22, 2011 7:31 AM CDT
Apple Sues Amazon Over Its, Um, 'Appstore'
In this Jan. 27, 2010 file photo, the iPad is shown after it was unveiled at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.   (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, FILE)

Got legal problems? Well, unless you're using an iPhone/iPad/iPod, there had better not be an "app" for that, at least not one sold in an "App Store." Apple has sued Amazon over the name of its new "Amazon Appstore," which sells Android applications, the LA Times reports. In the lawsuit, Apple says the name violates its "App Store" trademark, and says it has complained to Amazon to no avail.

"Other major companies now offer software download services for mobile operating systems that compete with Apple's," the complaint says. "These competitors have found ways of branding and describing their own ... services without using the term APP STORE. For example, Microsoft uses the term MARKETPLACE." (More App Store stories.)

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