Adobe AIR Development

[turtle-dev]

Well, I found this interesting...



[copycatapps]

Thanks for the example.  This is all over the place throughout Blackberry App World.   I like the previous poster's suggestion to "cease and desist".  This however did not work for me.  I wrote to the overseas vendor a few times a few months ago.  They ignored the request.

I, then, wrote Blackberry several times.  They said that I have to get a trademark too.  So, $500 later, I too will wait a year. 

I have to say that I have Apps on the Android platform as well as the iTunes store.  The other two companies protect developers (i.e. partners!!).  RIM has proven to be close to impossible to work with.  I can say that I won't stop the fight.

[RottenOgre]

Hmm, I'm really hoping that's just because it's such a generic name (which doesn't really trouble me). Are there any examples of duplicate names for non-generic names? i.e. having two apps with the name AppleOrangeBananaSmasher. If this is the case I'd be pretty shocked and upset.

[turtle-dev]

@ RottenOgre

I only noticed the example pics because I have a unit conversion app as well.

I searched "converter" because my url link was giving me an Unknown Error when I clicked it.

You can go onto App World and type into the search field and see what apps get listed...

[greenlights21]

RIM turns a blind eye.  Two different vendors are able to use the same App name.  And the previous posters are correct:  iTunes does not allow this to happen.

[jtegen]

Well since the first "Converter" is ours, I am surprised (maybe not) that there is more than one and more than one for the PB.  We were told early on that the names have to be unique in app world and that they suggested to "reserve" your name early.

I dont mind changing our name some if anyone has a suggestion (Beside the obvious "Converter for PlayBook").

If app world does not chack for duplicate name, I suppose this will continue to happen and it might not be worth going back and forth with names if someone down the road can take the same name.

[greenlights21]

Yeah, maybe I should let the following THREE vendors know that other Apps are selling using the same name.   When you spend a lot of time marketing your App, blogging about it, etc... and you're finally getting some traction, it is a huge let down to see that you're helping other vendors out and your sales are shrinking when they decide to use your name.

 Notice how many of the vendors are from another country entirely?  Unfortunately, what is happening is that overseas developers find successful apps and copy their functionality and name.  Apple's iTunes store does not allow for either of these two things to happen.  They encourage developers to work on their platform and see the relationship as a win-win.

[greenlights21]

Glucose Tracker, BMI Calculator, Converter just represent the tip of the iceberg.  This is throughout Blackberry App World.  And good luck when someone googles your app's name and lands on the competition. 

[TheDarkIn1978]

these names are unoriginal, generic words and titles that can't be protected under the law.

Apple's App Store is no differnet:  search for "Units".

if a developer wants to name their app "Converter" then that's their own fault.

[cyballinaz]

The following is straight from Apple's iPhone Developer Legal Guide:

You should rethink your application’s name if there is already a similarly named application in the App Store. 

This is from the iTunes Developer Guide:

Do not include the names of other applications in the description for your application

or application keywords. Referencing other applications in your application description

and keywords can be considered an attempt to fix search results and is

not advised

Please do not use competing app names or inappropriate words for your keywords.