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Apple and Amazon Settle 'App Store' Dispute

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The long dispute between Apple and Amazon over the term "App Store" has come to an end, with Apple agreeing to end the lawsuit with promises from Amazon not to countersue, reports Reuters.

"We no longer see a need to pursue our case," Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said. "With more than 900,000 apps and 50 billion downloads, customers know where they can purchase their favorite apps."

Martin Glick, a lawyer for Amazon, said in an interview, "This was a decision by Apple to unilaterally abandon the case, and leave Amazon free to use 'appstore.'"

Apple and Amazon's disagreement arose after Amazon debuted the "Amazon Appstore" in March of 2011, three years after Apple launched its own App Store. Apple sued just days after the Amazon Appstore was made available, asking the court to prevent Amazon from using the term as it tarnished the reputation of the Apple App Store.

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Amazon responded with a request to throw out the trademark suit, calling the "app store" term generic, a position that Microsoft also took when Apple's trademark was originally filed.

Early this year, Amazon successfully had a portion of Apple’s lawsuit dismissed, following claims last year that Apple had failed to demonstrate "real evidence of actual confusion" between app stores, suggesting that Apple was "not likely to prevail" in the suit.

Top Rated Comments

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akm3
166 months ago
nope, not even close to an Amazon win. Like the article stated, everyone knows App Store in association with Apple.
Amazon is simply using similar terms to draw people to theirs..but in the end more people are buying from Apple's App Store.

Wrong.

Amazon wanted to call it appstore. Apple didn't want them to call it appstore.

Amazon gets to call it appstore.

Amazon wins.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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jasonefmonk
166 months ago
I wish more of these suits would end this way. They are a waste of breath and money.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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abz1981
166 months ago
This is a good move. Now time to invest money in innovation instead of these lawsuits.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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rmwebs
166 months ago
Nope. it goto the point Apple didnt care because Amazon is not really making an economic impact from AppStore. Apple is definitely onto bigger and better things.

Who the hell are you trying to fool here? We get it, you're a die hard fan of Apple, we all love Apple but we're not all so stuborn that we cant admit when Apple looses out.

The facts are:

- Amazon wanted to be able to legally use the term 'Appstore'
- Apple didn't want them to be able to do that.
- Apple gave up in the end.
- Amazon got what they wanted from the get go.

You can come up with ifs and buts all day long, but the fact is, Amazon won.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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rmwebs
166 months ago
Tim Cook seems a lot more willing to settle and avoid these lawsuits.

In this case it was very sensible given how stupid it was in the first place. There was no way in hell Apple would get the rights to take control of 'Appstore' as a term.

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nope, not even close to an Amazon win.

Uh yes. It was an Amazon win. Amazon wanted to use the term - and now they can. Amazon win, regardless of how you put it. It had nothing to do with sales figures or statistics, it was the naming.

Amazon won - fact.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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akm3
166 months ago
So in a sense, Amazon wins this? They get to use the phrase "App Store"?

Yes, Amazon won, Apple lost.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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