Amazon Responds To Apple App Store Lawsuit With Job’s Own Words

by Mike on April 27, 2011

Last month, Apple had filed a lawsuit alleging that Amazon Inc. had violated an Apple trademark by using the phrase “App Store” in promoting its newly opened Amazon Appstore for Android devices. According to Cupertino, it is Apple that is the rightful owner of this catch phrase and Amazon should not be using this term in an effort to draw in more software developers that reside within the US.

Apple goes on to say in their lawsuit that they have tried to connect with Amazon representatives multiple times, but have not received a “substantive response”. If this sounds familiar, you are right because Microsoft has had their own disagreements with Apple over the app store trademark, having filed their own objections to the issue.

Well, Amazon has finally filed an official statement and it is pretty much the same response that Microsoft asserts and that is the phrase “app store” is just to generic of a term and because of this, it cannot be trademarked. As part of their defence, Amazon even quotes Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs himself who was heard in a financial conference call using the term “app stores” as it applies to the entire industry.

If you are a law buff or just enjoy reading lawsuits, you can read Amazon’s entire claim here.

Via: TUAW