Judge Dismisses Apple Trademark Claims Against Amazon's Appstore - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Judge Dismisses Apple Trademark Claims Against Amazon's Appstore

Amazon has succeeded in having Apple's false advertising lawsuit over its "App Store" trademark thrown out, reports Bloomberg via The Next Web.

NewImage
In early 2011, Apple sued Amazon over the latter company's new "Appstore" for Android devices, claiming the 'app store' name was trademarked by Apple and would cause confusion amongst consumers.

Apple claimed Amazon's "inferior" app store would tarnish Apple's reputation. Last year, a judge indicated skepticism over Apple's claims, saying Apple had not demonstrated "real evidence of actual confusion" between the various "app stores", and suggested that Apple was "not likely to prevail" in the case.

Microsoft also fought against Apple, arguing that 'app store' is a compound noun that is a generic characterization of the store itself -- a store for apps.

Update: The Verge has the complete court ruling, which actually addresses only the false advertising aspect of Apple's claims. The dispute over the alleged trademark infringement by Amazon remains active.

Popular Stories

iOS 28 AI

Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28

Sunday November 8, 2026 7:42 am PST by
Apple has made a change to its development process for iOS 28, macOS 28, and corresponding software updates, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he said Apple separates development of each year's new operating systems into three major stages. Typically, he said each stage consists of four weeks of coding followed by a four-week "convergence" period where...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday

Monday November 9, 2026 4:22 am PST by
The Apple launches keep coming! The company is set to release two new products on Friday, November 13: the all-new Apple HomeView and the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, both of which have been available to pre-order since mid-October. Apple HomeView: Apple's new smart home display, powered by Apple Intelligence with Siri AI, for entertainment and managing the home. Available in tabletop and...
duo aquarium

More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try

Friday November 6, 2026 3:27 pm PST by
When the iPhone Duo launched, we shared a list of some of the fun apps developers created for the new form factor. Two weeks out, developers are continuing to come up with fresh ideas, so we thought we'd share some of our favorites. Games Marbles Unhinged ($2.99) - Marbles Unhinged is a marble maze designed for the Duo. When you fold it, the floor turns into a ramp. If you stand the top...

Top Rated Comments

johnnyjibbs Avatar
181 months ago
In reality, Apple should not have been allowed to trademark such a generic name as "App Store"
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Arcady Avatar
181 months ago
Whether "App Store" should be trademarkable or not is another question, but there's no doubt that the term "App" wasn't used at all before Apple's App Store.

Microsoft didn't even call Windows software "applications", they had always called them "programs".

I find it weird that a diminutive of a generic term is necessarily considered a generic term as well, even if nobody used the term. By the same logic, you couldn't have a trademark on something like "Mus Store" or "Boo Store".
Bill Gates called Internet Explorer a "killer app" during the Microsoft trial in the 90's. The use of the word "app" to refer to software programs has been around since at least the 80's. I can remember announcements and flyers for "new apps" at MacWorld Expo going back to the late 80's. It was probably used before that time.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macsmurf Avatar
181 months ago
Whether "App Store" should be trademarkable or not is another question, but there's no doubt that the term "App" wasn't used at all before Apple's App Store.

Microsoft didn't even call Windows software "applications", they had always called them "programs".

Not only that. Apple also invented the term "Store". :rolleyes:

I wonder how the internet would look if people did just two seconds of research before posting. Of course these people probably refuse to use Google for religious reasons.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mjoshi123 Avatar
181 months ago
Kudos to judge for using some commonsense and Amazon for winning this one. Amazon Appstore might not be as fat as Apple's but still this is symoblic victory, Apple should focus less on litigating and more on bringing out products that made Apple a world-class brand.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
181 months ago
Good judgement
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
181 months ago
Whether "App Store" should be trademarkable or not is another question, but there's no doubt that the term "App" wasn't used at all before Apple's App Store.

Genuinely hope you're being sarcastic, because if not ..... wow.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Here's What Apple Fixed in iOS 27.2.1 and macOS 27.2.1
Here's What Apple Fixed in iOS 27.2.1 and macOS 27.2.1
57 minutes ago
Webex Gets iPhone Duo Support
Webex Gets iPhone Duo Support
2 hours ago
Meta's Muse AI Agent Comes to Apple Watch
Meta's Muse AI Agent Comes to Apple Watch
2 hours ago
Anker Launches Eufy Security Cam With Auto-Tracking Light
Anker Launches Eufy Security Cam With Auto-Tracking Light
2 hours ago
macOS 27.2.1 Fixes eMudhra Certificate Flaw in Command-Line Tools
macOS 27.2.1 Fixes eMudhra Certificate Flaw in Command-Line Tools
4 hours ago
Anthropic Launches Claude Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2
Anthropic Launches Claude Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2
4 hours ago
Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1
Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1
6 hours ago
Apple Releases iOS 27.2.1 With Bug Fixes
Apple Releases iOS 27.2.1 With Bug Fixes
6 hours ago
Apple Releases watchOS 27.2.1 and visionOS 27.2.1 With Security Fixes
Apple Releases watchOS 27.2.1 and visionOS 27.2.1 With Security Fixes
6 hours ago
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Gets $99 Amazon Discounts, Starting at $699.99
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Gets $99 Amazon Discounts, Starting at $699.99
6 hours ago
Apple Pay Ad Features Martial Arts Convenience Store Food Fight
Apple Pay Ad Features Martial Arts Convenience Store Food Fight
6 hours ago
Apple Continues to Say Some AI Features Will Have Fees for Extra Usage
Apple Continues to Say Some AI Features Will Have Fees for Extra Usage
6 hours ago
Apple Announces Türkiye Expansion Plans as Tim Cook Visits
Apple Announces Türkiye Expansion Plans as Tim Cook Visits
8 hours ago
Singapore Saved Apple $2.7 Billion in Taxes This Year
Singapore Saved Apple $2.7 Billion in Taxes This Year
8 hours ago
Apple Music's 2026 Artist of the Year is Olivia Dean
Apple Music's 2026 Artist of the Year is Olivia Dean
8 hours ago
This Could Be Your Last Chance to Pre-Order the HomeView at a Discount
This Could Be Your Last Chance to Pre-Order the HomeView at a Discount
8 hours ago
Some HomePod Mini 2 Buyers Returning Units Over Mac Speaker Issues
Some HomePod Mini 2 Buyers Returning Units Over Mac Speaker Issues
9 hours ago
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
9 hours ago
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
9 hours ago
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
10 hours ago
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
10 hours ago
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
11 hours ago
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
11 hours ago
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
12 hours ago
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
12 hours ago
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
21 hours ago
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
1 day ago
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
1 day ago
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
2 days ago
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
2 days ago