Apple sues Amazon over App Store name

IDG News Service - Apple sued Amazon.com on Friday, claiming rights to the name App Store, which Amazon tagged on its new application store.

The creator of the iPhones and iPads that made apps popular among smartphone and tablet users worldwide filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Apple accuses Amazon of infringing its rights to the name, the Wall Street Journal Reports, and Apple has asked the court for an injunction prohibiting Amazon from using the name as well as unspecified damages.

Mary Osako, a spokesperson for Amazon, said her company has a long standing practice of not commenting on pending litigation.

Apple did not return phone messages or emails seeking comment.

The term in question, 'App Store,' which Amazon has rendered as Appstore for its new application store, appears on a list of service marks Apple has on its website. Service marks are similar to trademarks but apply to services, while trademarks apply to goods.

Amazon plans to initially open the Appstore as a place to sell apps designed for Google's Android mobile OS, the biggest rival to Apple.

Apple's global share of application store revenue fell to 82.7% last year from 92.8% a year earlier, according to market researcher IHS Screen Digest, while Android Market, which saw revenue soar 861.5% year-on-year in 2010, took a 4.7% share.