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Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

michaelrobertson.com

21–30 of 33 posts

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#21

I thought there was an Palm download store back in the late 90's, for the Palm V and such, but I can't seem to find anything about it. Am I completely mistaken?? Couldn't you download apps for the old Palms?

Yes you could. There may have been a centralized "store" at some point, but I don't remember it. Palm OS let you install arbitrary executables, so you didn't need one.

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#22
post #11
post #4

In which a minor freetard business celebrity fails to distinguish trademarks from patents.

I think you're being overly harsh. He quotes Apple's legal papers in which they clearly state that the concept of an app store is unprecedented and then he exposes that as inaccurate. You might think of him as a "minor freetard business celebrity" but he took the brilliance of Linux software repositories, made them easier to use and more accessible, and integrated in the ability to pay for software long before Apple…

> He quotes Apple's legal papers in which they clearly state...

You mean he quotes Apple's attorney's quotation of a New York Times reporter? It's not quite so clear that this is Apple's statement, and reading the quote in context doesn't give the impression that Apple is claiming to have invented the concept.

> Saying that he fails to distinguish trademarks from patents is flat out wrong...

He seems to understand the difference but ignore it. He mostly argues that the concept of an app store pre-dated Apple's trademark filing. This is a patent-type argument in a trademark discussion, hence the confusion.

The only trademark law based argument he makes is that the term "app store" was generic. But without any evidence this conclusion is worthless.

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#23
post #2

> And like the term "Windows", "App Store" is a generic computing term that was in use prior to Apple's product. Is there an example of the usage of the term "App Store" before Apple popularized it? The date search via Google hasn't turned up anything. edit: I did find this blog post from 2006: http://nerddawg.blogspot.com/2006/08/debugging-windows-prese...

I'm not sure the mere occurrence of the same phrase would invalidate someone's attempt to trademark it. I trademarked a two word phrase that has occurred before on the web, but it had no special meaning in the industry.

In other words, no company or process or device came to mind when people in the industry heard the phrase. Nobody had made an investment in it.

As part of the proof that the phrase wasn't special, I actually provided search urls for the phrase and explained how the usage in the top results was generic.

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#24
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Freetard"? What are you twelve? A corporate troll or a Windows user? I will be so happy when this "*-tard" meme goes away, it is truly irksome.

I think Fake Steve Jobs coined the term... and it doesn't sound any worse than "fanboy" to me.

Really? A play on the politically-incorrect, downright offense word "retard", doesn't sound worse than "fanboy"? Wow, I guess it is all about perspective.

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that a reference to a store, as in a place that sells things, or a store as in storage? I am not familiar with the topic discussed on the page, but to me, the term "app store" is referring to app caching/storage mechanism.

I'm not sure, I suspect it refers to storage, but that was the only example of the term 'app store' that I could find prior to Apple's app store announcement.

beej71 your comment is dead, but I presume this is the usenet post you were referring to: http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.video.sony/browse_t...

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#26
post #8

> Apple says, "...nothing like the App Store has ever been attempted before." What Apple actually says is """As a columnist for The New York Times remarked soon after the launch of the service, "[nlothing like the App Store has ever been attempted before."""" Yes, Apple is trying to push that idea, but it is not them that said it (in that instance). Apple even notes that similar mobile phone download marketplaces exi…

Yes, I noticed Apple carefully quoted someone else as saying they invented an app store. There is also the context of mobile here, where there is less prior art (because of the mobile telcoms hold on such things). If Apple attempted to be super broad here, then I might turn and sue them for 30% of all app store (and Mac store!) purchases, since I built and pitched Apple the concept in the mid and late 1990s. Even met Gil Amelio. Right before the purchase of NeXT. Lawyers can always add my name to any discovery requests from Apple. :)

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#27
post #2

> And like the term "Windows", "App Store" is a generic computing term that was in use prior to Apple's product. Is there an example of the usage of the term "App Store" before Apple popularized it? The date search via Google hasn't turned up anything. edit: I did find this blog post from 2006: http://nerddawg.blogspot.com/2006/08/debugging-windows-prese...

The OP does realize that "Windows" is recognized as a valid trademark, yes?

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#28
Broadness in itself is not a reason to deny a trademark. "Christmas Tree Shops" is hardly distinctive. "McDonalds" is a last name. These trademarks are recognized because brands were successfully and identifiably built around them. I think the same can be said about the app store - ask any "normal" who he thinks of when he hears the phrase "App Store." Hint: it's not Google or Amazon.

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#29
post #4

In which a minor freetard business celebrity fails to distinguish trademarks from patents.

He's anything but a "freetard", he built cnr in order to be able to easily ship proprietary and drm apps. Far from a freetard (whatever that means). Also I'm saddened to see people here upvoting a comment using a derogatory term (freetard) against a part of our community (free and open source software enthusiasts in that case), it's against the HN guidelines.

I'll consider my tone more in future, but lest anyone mistake me - I am part of the FOSS world, so I am a freetard too and use the term as endearing dark humour :)

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#30
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think Fake Steve Jobs coined the term... and it doesn't sound any worse than "fanboy" to me.

Really? A play on the politically-incorrect, downright offense word "retard", doesn't sound worse than "fanboy"? Wow, I guess it is all about perspective.

You are entitled to be offended, but the term has never really been more than a darkly affectionate moniker - Dan Lyons (fake Steve jobs) is a big fan of FOSS, as am I :)
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