Apple Trademarks 'There's An App For That'

Apple has just been granted a trademark for the phrase, "There's an app for that."

The company is notoriously protective over words, names, and phrases related to its brand. For example, one developer saw his app, iPodRip, rejected because Apple felt its name was came too close to its iPod trademark. Apple CEO Steve Jobs allegedly told the developer, who had appealed to the chief executive via email, "Change your apps name. Not that big of a deal."

TUAW reports,

The trademark, which Apple filed for on December 4th, 2009, covers "Retail store services featuring computer software provided via the Internet and other computer and electronic communication networks; retail store services featuring computer software for use on handheld mobile digital electronic devices and other consumer electronics."

Comments

[MariaOrlovaTM]

05:50 PM on 10/15/2010

Just to clarify, this phrase is not officially registered with the USPTO until the status says “REGISTERED”.

Want to know when it is? You can sign up for free status alerts on Apple Inc trademarks so that you may be automatically updated whenever a USPTO status is updated, especially when it is finally “REGISTERED” http://www.trademarkia.com/company-apple-inc-83800-page-1-2 You will also be updated automatically for every NEW apple trademark application.

Trademarkia.com hosts a free search engine of the U.S. federal trademark database, so you can easily access trademark information for top brands like Apple, Facebook, Google, etc...

[traylortrash]

10:11 PM on 10/13/2010

Oh for crying out loud, quit apple bashing. they got the best stuff on the market. live with it.

[Sunzuki]

06:51 AM on 10/13/2010

Most of the 'Apps' on the Appstore are junk. Let's be real here.

[trojoe]

01:31 AM on 10/13/2010

As far as "there's an app for that" goes, he's right. There is an app for it. Unfortunately it's most likely poorly coded, shoddily designed, over priced, and not eligible for a refund.

[Wanjiru]

07:42 PM on 10/12/2010

NowWaitaMinute!!!®
.

[wrabbitt]

07:13 PM on 10/12/2010

Steve wants to know what your doing, and why. After all its his Apple, that you bought, Windows operating systems "call home" all the time Apple calls Steve.I never owned an apple, I didn't eat.

[Malcolm]

06:26 PM on 10/12/2010

"Trademark" is not a verb in the United States, where trademark rights come from use, not registration. Apple has not been granted federal registration of its phrase, and even if the registration is granted (our Trademark Office tends to go easy on major corporations), the registration and the mark will be vulnerable to cancellation for genericness. Any effort to enforce the registration should be met with a defense of genericness, which should succeed under current law. Note also that Apple seeks registration of its mark only for retail store services, and that the Lanham Act, which governs federal trademark law, provides a complete defense to an infringement claim if the mark allegedly infringed consists of common words and the alleged infringer used them truthfully to mean what they commonly mean, rather than as a mark. Thus, anyone who says "There's an app for that" meaning exactly that has not infringed any of the rather dubious rights Apple may acquire.

[VonSpiffin]

06:08 PM on 10/12/2010

I wonder how they feel about "iBlivion" for that braindead state of mind that Apple fanatics get into, especially when they walk in front of cars and trains while wearing their iPods?

[MrVee]

05:51 PM on 10/12/2010

"You're not holding it right" Steve probably got that one already.

[matt t]

05:41 PM on 10/12/2010

Let's beat Apple to the punch and retire that phrase from English. We can use Spanish instead "hay una app por esso" to state the now-apple-owned expression.

AOL probably owns "you've got mail" which we can use French "Vous avez du courrier". Pepsi's "the choice of a new generation" we can make Portuguese "la seleccion de la nueva generacion ".

Anyway the Europeans accuse us of not speaking other languages; let's seize this *opportunity* !

[rostov007]

05:40 PM on 10/12/2010

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[rostov007]

05:39 PM on 10/12/2010

Next on Apple's list: I am looking for a USB cable.

[uninterestedbystander]

05:43 PM on 10/12/2010

Or... where does my SD card go?

[Pectin]

09:53 AM on 10/13/2010

I'll tell ya where to put it...

[MohammedAbbasi]

05:11 PM on 10/12/2010

wonder if his glorious excellency steve jobs would like to trademark the apple itself?

[Vernon Brown]

04:57 PM on 10/12/2010

Want a company of, by, and for dicks? There's Apple for that.

[snow49]

04:41 PM on 10/12/2010

ok so we all say 'APPLICATION'......theres a 'cation' for that........I claim ALL RIGHTS to use the English language as I see fit without Steve Jobs prior permission! It is my birthright and I claim it! about time the US trademark people realize that the USA only have a small percentage of English speakers in the world and we don't particularly care to have our language locked up by money hungry corporations who have virtually no relevance to our lives. ( and the way he is carrying on, never will have) you don't need an 'app' to repeat these comments, you have my full and free permission to do so!

[DWGRadio]

05:16 PM on 10/12/2010

:)

[snow49]

05:52 PM on 10/12/2010

ooppss (tradmarked) my laptop learned its English from a Californian....not to mention some sticky keys....LOL