Microsoft is trying to set up road blocks to keep Apple from being able to trademark the term ‘App Store’, a phrase which Microsoft claims is too generic for anyone brand to claim ownership of.  Microsoft maintains in their 23 page motion that the term is used generically to describe various brands who have stores which sell software applications for various platforms, and is used the same way that we use other phrases such as shoe store, toy store, and computer store.

Microsoft’s filing of their motion has succeeded in temporarily freezing the progress of Apple to obtain the trademark, with status set to pending opposition.  The 23 page motion is posted on techflashpodcast.com.  The motion goes on to argue that even Steve Jobs of Apple has used the term generically when he said “Amazon, Verizon, and Vodafone have all announced that they are creating their own app stores for Android.  There will be at least four app stores on Android,” during an interview.

Neither Google or Microsoft use the term for their specific app stores, however other brands do incorporate the phraise into their store names, such as Samsung Apps, the App Catalog, and App World.  Google’s app store is called the Android Market, and the Microsoft store is called the Windows Marketplace for Mobile.  Microsoft adds that they all refer to their store as app stores at one time or another, and they should be able to continue doing so without the fear of being sued by Apple.

Amazon has formally announced that they will be developing an Android App Store, and they already feature a Kindle App Store which includes free Kindle app downloads for multiple mobile platforms.

Source:  Information Week