Apple Believes They Changed The Definition Of “App”

The term “app” is being thrown around a lot these days, and while initially used to describe downloadable software for smartphones and tablets, it has started to apply to software running on computers as well. Technically it’s not far from the truth as “app” is an abbreviation for “application”, but it seems that Apple thinks that they have the right to the term because they feel that they were the ones who changed what it meant.

This is being challenged in Australia where Apple had lost the right to trademark the “App Store” name, which they have since tried to appeal but lost again, and now they have taken the case of the Australian Federal Court against the Registrar of Trademarks. According to Apple’s counsel, Rob Webb, “The fact that one of its components — app — was as a stand alone word, itself in something of a transition at the date of the filing of the application.” Webb went on to state, “We say that must reflect back to the filing date in 2008 and one can see that at that time, it had some layer of meaning that wasn’t purely application software.”

What do you guys think? In all honesty, whether you are an Apple critic or a fan, do you think that Apple was responsible to making the term popular, ultimately changing its definition?

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple
Tags: Apps, itunes app store, Legal