Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by codetrotter 406 days ago
> we got rejected because of "Mac*" in the name. we pointed them to a dozen others that had it, where it seemingly was no problem. didn't help.

To be fair, it’s understandable for many reasons that they don’t want other companies to use “Mac” in the name of the software.

- Brand dilution

- Losing trademark if Mac becomes a generic word

- It’s also annoying actually with apps that name themselves that way. Just because I’m on a Mac doesn’t mean I need that a whole bunch of my apps start with “Mac” in their name. Likewise for apps that start their name with lowercase i on iOS, and apps that end their name with droid on Android.

Also, for the ones that were allowed anyway, were those already big outside of App Store by chance? Or have they been allowing even new apps that don’t have an existing user base into the App Store with names like that?

3 comments

> Losing trademark if Mac becomes a generic word

> Also, for the ones that were allowed anyway, were those already big outside of App Store by chance?

These two points contradict each other. If Apple were concerned about losing a trademark, they would have already sued popular apps that have "Mac" in the name.

So you agree that “thats because App Store review is a.) random and b.) they play favorites so the same rules don't apply to everyone”
> Losing trademark if Mac becomes a generic word

This is interesting considering that it was a common word before Apple started. Both the variety of apple called Macintosh and a Mac raincoat (named after Charles Macintosh).

Though it would be really funny if the Beatles were referring to a computer in Penny Lane:

"And the banker never wears a mac in the pouring rain. Very strange"

Trademarks are specific to a kind of product or service. A Mac raincoat does not violate a trademark on Mac computers or software.