Just out of interest, how long had your app been in the App Store?
It had been on the App Store for about a year.
Last week Apple asked me to remove my app from the App Store. Now I know why.
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Re: Last week Apple asked me to remove my app from the App Store. Now I know why.
#52User bcwood posted this in a neutral, matter of fact, way. Then I wonder why almost all the subsequent comments are so argumentative and biased. Chill, guys. Is being polite and cool not the thing to be on Internet?
Thank you. I'm actually not upset about the situation, I just found it an interesting enough situation to share.
Re: Last week Apple asked me to remove my app from the App Store. Now I know why.
#53I am interested that they didn't just say, "We own the trademark Facetime, GTFO." Maybe they just have an automated system that does this kind of thing? I assume you will change the name to something else and everything will be OK, right?
I would guess they didn't want to reveal anything about their plans before the announcment yesterday, which is why they were kind of vague about the whole thing. Yes, I'll just rename the app (not sure to what yet), and resubmit.
Re: Last week Apple asked me to remove my app from the App Store. Now I know why.
#54I think you can find a better name that does more justice
Agreed. I was actually never that excited about the name. I worked with a designer on the app, and the name was her idea.
Re: Last week Apple asked me to remove my app from the App Store. Now I know why.
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is in fact fair play. Do you dispute that the trademark was taken and that the app name did not infringe?
It appears that the app name did not infringe, yes. Apple's trademark is for communications software and his is for a timer program.
The purpose of trademark law is to prevent the public from being misled as to the origin or quality of a product or service, and to identify the commercial source of products and services. There would likely have been confusion between two apps with the same name in the App Store. Apple registered the trademark, submitter did not. It's a pretty cut and dried case.
Re: Last week Apple asked me to remove my app from the App Store. Now I know why.
#56I am interested that they didn't just say, "We own the trademark Facetime, GTFO." Maybe they just have an automated system that does this kind of thing? I assume you will change the name to something else and everything will be OK, right?
I would guess they didn't want to reveal anything about their plans before the announcment yesterday, which is why they were kind of vague about the whole thing. Yes, I'll just rename the app (not sure to what yet), and resubmit.
Timeface
Re: Last week Apple asked me to remove my app from the App Store. Now I know why.
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
How does the Facetime brand alienate developers exactly?
Developers hate frivolous and silly names for protocols and software packages. Just look at Cocoa, Groovy, Sinatra, PubSubHubbub, and acts_as_taggable_on_steroids.
I wasn't aware of anyone having emotions about any names since I heard an 18 year raging about how to pronounce "GNU" when I was in college.
Re: Last week Apple asked me to remove my app from the App Store. Now I know why.
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
What does all this secrecy buy them? Nothing.
A cool brand name they probably thought long and hard about before adopting it. A brand that will have resonance with the general population at the cost of alienating some developers. This is what 'crossroads between liberal arts and technology' is about; changing the pecking order in the technology business: Apple first, normal people second, developers a distant third.
Shouldn't it be "iFace" anyway?
Re: Last week Apple asked me to remove my app from the App Store. Now I know why.
#59This is a classic "pick your battles" or "know when to fold'em" moments I think. This is technically "press" for your app, so hopefully some real good will come out of it when you come back to tell us the new name.
Better yet, have the new name ready before getting this press! A huge opportunity has just passed by.
Re: Last week Apple asked me to remove my app from the App Store. Now I know why.
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
They're both software. Its easily conceivable that a non-moron could search for one and mistake it for the other. This case seems like an actual violation whose enforcement would be much more reasonable than most other disputes that have made the news the last few years.
The only "not great" thing is that it is Apple that have introduced this as a problem, not this app developer. Which is a bit brutish.
It would be "less brutish" if the app developer were to have done it?