Amazon isn’t the only target of Apple’s “App Store” trademark assault. MiKandi, a purveyor of porn apps for Android phones, has changed its slogan after receiving a cease and desist from Apple.
MiKandi, whose storefront is completely separate from the Android Market, once called itself “the world’s first app store for adults.” Now, the company is taking up Google’s nomenclature and referring to itself as an “app market.”
MiKandi explained itself in a blog post: “Our pockets aren’t as deep as Amazon’s … so today we’re introducing you to MiKandi- the world’s first app market for adults.”
Apple is suing Amazon over its new mobile software storefront, called the “Amazon Appstore for Android.” Apple filed for the “app store” trademark in 2008, and claims that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has already approved the application. However, Microsoft has asked the office to dismiss the trademark application on the grounds that it’s too generic.
That case is still pending, but with the lawsuit against Amazon underway, I’m not surprised to see Apple threatening other companies who use the term.
Although MiKandi has been around — and calling itself an app store — since November 2009, its only previous run-in with Apple was minor. Last April, Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs referred vaguely to an Android “porn store” as a way to deride Google’s platform.
Speaking to Geekwire, MiKandi co-founder Jen McEwen said that little jab actually worked out in the store’s favor. “We got 10,000 downloads of our app store in 12 hours that day. It was amazing. We couldn’t believe our luck,” she said.
I bet the change in slogan will have a similar effect.