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Paper, by MiSoft

daringfireball.net

71–80 of 80 posts

Re: Paper, by MiSoft

#71
post #9

More to this story http://figure53.com/notes/2014-02-04-david-and-goliath/ 53 looks more and more like a jerk here

Wouldn't surprise me. This is the same company that for months refused to support the Adonit Jot Touch 4 and gave absolutely no reason for it. Until, of course, they released their own stupidly overpriced and proprietary writing implement as well. As of now, they still have no plans to support third-party styluses, and while I get it might cut into their business model to support the AJT4, they're jerks for not doing…

I'm trying to follow your logic trail, but why should they support a product that undermines their own?

Re: Paper, by MiSoft

#72
post #25

It's almost as if there needs to be an entire regulatory scheme for dealing with naming disputes, which would allow app developers and startups to protect their brand. Oh wait, there is, it's called Trademark Law! As such, it's getting really old seeing a bunch of angry parties writing open letters and rants on social media trying to claim they're the morally superior party for [BS REASON HERE]. None of that matters.…

Frsnkly, I'm sick of companies -- software companies in particular -- trying to own plain English words. I was sick of it when Microsoft registered "Windows" as a trademark (they actually had the trademark challenged and lost it in Australia -- as a common use term in computing), and "Word" and "Excel" and "Access" and "Money" and on and on. If Microsoft wants to sell "Microsoft Word" then good luck, but I should be…

[deleted]

Re: Paper, by MiSoft

#73
post #51

So...if I name my app after an extraordinarily common item, I shouldn't expect somebody else to perhaps do the same? What's the point here? Why should I care if more than one developer uncreatively names their apps after the same commonplace thing? I hope daringfireball posts are on the list of things that drop off the front page quickly.

The point is that the guy complaining about someone much bigger trampling on his app's good name actually did more or less the same thing to someone else.

Re: Paper, by MiSoft

#74

Names should not be distinct like on Google Play and let the best 'Paper' win. There is no reason why app naming needs to be unique like domains only the id and bundle. Unique names are always better but noone should be stopped from using the same name unless it is launched first and there is a trademark etc.

Hold on, let me rename my racing game "IceOne Racer" :-)

Hehe, may the best one win, the race is on!

Once someone is out in the market then that is pretty lame but the name squatting on iOS/iTunes sucks. You have 90-120 days to use a name but if you upload a binary/app build you can keep it for a long time. Games people play. If everyone was allowed to use the same names and the first out out gets it or has a trademark then we are back to fair. Google Play solves this by again letting the free market decide the best, allowing names to compete. Remember the two Tetris games on the 8-bit NES?

Re: Paper, by MiSoft

#75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't surprise me. This is the same company that for months refused to support the Adonit Jot Touch 4 and gave absolutely no reason for it. Until, of course, they released their own stupidly overpriced and proprietary writing implement as well. As of now, they still have no plans to support third-party styluses, and while I get it might cut into their business model to support the AJT4, they're jerks for not doing…

I'm trying to follow your logic trail, but why should they support a product that undermines their own?

Well, for one, for the same reason that we have iTunes for Windows and Office for Mac. It would increase their potential customer base and generally make said customers happier. Driving adoption and winning consumers' mindshare, by getting as many people using their app as possible, is probably worth more than whatever sales they gain by enforcing lock-in and alienating users.

Re: Paper, by MiSoft

#76
post #2

FiftyThree just posted this on Twitter: .@daringfireball please don’t take the bait. Paper by miSoft V1 was launched Sep 20th 2012, 5 month after us. https://twitter.com/FiftyThree/status/430845528805756928

I remember when Paper by FiftyThree first came out, I went to the App Store and searched for "Paper". The first result was some other simple drawing app called "Paper" (not miSoft's). There was definitely a "Paper" app in the App Store, for drawing, before Paper by FiftyThree.

Disclaimer: I'm a co-founder at FiftyThree

Just a few facts:

1. "Paper", an app from developer "Contradictory", has existed in the App Store since October 27, 2011. This is presumably before miSoft registered their Paper. (https://twitter.com/FiftyThree/status/430873195097632769) Contradictory is clearly a name squatter.

2. miSoft's Paper launched ~5 months after Paper by FiftyThree. (https://twitter.com/FiftyThree/status/430845528805756928)

3. miSoft renamed another of their apps "Kid Paint" to "Paper Express" on 12/20/2012 after FiftyThree won App of the Year (https://twitter.com/georgpetschnigg/status/43091631900616704...)

Re: Paper, by MiSoft

#77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, they make a claim i'm having trouble substantiating (but may or may not be true, of course :P). They state the PTO has a problem with fiftythree's mark, but actually, the PTO approved it for publication (yes, after some discussion). It was published for opposition (IE the PTO approved it) A request for extension of time to oppose has been filed. But it hasn't been "refused", or else it would not have issued to th…

Edit: Note that document #1 is the most recent while #20 is the first chronologically. The goods claimed changed. http://tsdr.uspto.gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn85622695&docId...

Yes yes, TSDR is a mess. In any case, the PTO still issued the mark, so saying "the PTO refused the mark", is not quite right.

Re: Paper, by MiSoft

#78

I defended FiftyThree really hard in the other thread on this topic but I guess I have to eat crow because they really come across as jerks by doing this to another smaller company and now what looks like initiating the start of legal proceedings on this very issue.

Disclaimer: Co-founder of FiftyThree

Please see my response here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7181910

Re: Paper, by MiSoft

#79
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> exhibiting no common sense or creativity I think it makes perfect sense to name products with words that exist (like "Sprite", "Mustang", and "Tide"), or a compound word made up of 2+ words. Making up new words ("Pepsi", "Camaro", and "Clorox") can be a lot more risky, especially if it's a consumer brand. What would you have named Facebook Paper instead?

I don't even know what Facebook Paper is and don't care. However as you mentioned, compounds, even of the simplest kind, are a GREAT idea. The important thing is that, even if you lack the common sense or creativity, it is completely and fully unreasonable to not expect someone else to make the same bad decision. Open letters, heartfelt emotional addresses and displays of surprise are not a thing that should happen a…

"Coming soon: Baby by Google!"

Re: Paper, by MiSoft

#80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember when Paper by FiftyThree first came out, I went to the App Store and searched for "Paper". The first result was some other simple drawing app called "Paper" (not miSoft's). There was definitely a "Paper" app in the App Store, for drawing, before Paper by FiftyThree.

Disclaimer: I'm a co-founder at FiftyThree Just a few facts: 1. "Paper", an app from developer "Contradictory", has existed in the App Store since October 27, 2011. This is presumably before miSoft registered their Paper. ( https://twitter.com/FiftyThree/status/430873195097632769 ) Contradictory is clearly a name squatter. 2. miSoft's Paper launched ~5 months after Paper by FiftyThree. ( https://twitter.com/FiftyThre…

Thanks for your reply. I have no problems with your name (and I'm in love with your app, Paper). But on your release day I did come across another app called "Paper" that I actually downloaded by mistake because App Store search is so bad it hadn't indexed "Paper by FiftyThree" yet.

I can't find it anymore, but the icon was very simple, a plain white A4 piece of paper on a blue background. I assume this app existed on the store before yours because I managed to accidentally download it on your release day.

When a name is generic like Paper I think it's okay to have multiple apps on the App Store.

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