Search engine giant Google and online retail giant Amazon have decided to end their two-year lawsuit, regarding the right to use the name ‘app store’. As the lawsuit ended, both companies will be allowed to use this term.
Phyllis Hamilton, US District Judge has signed the case dismissal order in Northern California this week, as the two companies requested it. This way, a trial will be avoided which was due on August 19, 2013. The case started back in March 2011, when the online retail giant launched the Amazon Appstore for Android.
The US-based tech giant said that Amazon’s use of the term ‘Appstore’ was a trademark infringement and false advertising. The App Store of Apple was launched in 2008. However, in its defense, Amazon said that the term ‘app store’ has become generic, so using the term will not deceive customers.
Amazon further argued that the term ‘app store’ was used generically, even by the CEO of Apple Tim Cook when he commented, “there are a number of app stores out there”. Earlier, the court said that Apple failed to prove that Amazon was misleading its customers by using the name.
