Apple Sues Amazon Over App Store Trademark

Apple on Friday filed a lawsuit against Amazon.com over Amazon’s use of the term “Appstore”, arguing it violates Apple’s “App Store” trademark.

Amazon has been using the Appstore name for its developer programme, and on Tuesday launched Appstore for Android, a service selling Android smartphone applications.

Injunction and damages

In its complaint filed on Friday in a federal court for the Northern District of California, Apple demanded an injunction stopping Amazon from using the name as well as unspecified damages.

“Amazon has begun improperly using Apple’s App Store mark in connection with Amazon’s mobile software developer programme,” Apple wrote in its complaint. “Consumers of mobile software downloads are likely to be confused as to whether Amazon’s mobile software download service is sponsored or approved by Apple.”

Apple registered for the App Store trademark in July 2008 and uses the name for its application download service for iOS-based devices such as the iPhone, the iPod and iPad.

In January Microsoft challenged the App Store trademark, arguing it is too generic, and the challenge is currently being reviewed by an appeals board of the US Patent and Trademark Office, according to Apple.

As of Tuesday morning the Appstore developer portal website was unavailable, as was the Appstore for Android download service, according to reports.

Apple and Amazon have been competing increasingly directly, and currently both sell e-books, digital music and film downloads, among other products.

Mac App Store

Apple in January launched a Mac App Store which offers full-screen apps for the company’s personal computers. The storefront operates in a manner similar to Apple’s App Store for mobile devices, allowing users to purchase and download apps with one click.

While supported by Snow Leopard, the current version of Apple’s Mac OS X, the Mac App Store will prove an integral part of the company’s upcoming Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, reportedly due in summer 2011.