The term “app” is being thrown around a lot these days, and while
initially used to describe downloadable software for smartphones and
tablets, it has started to apply to software running
on computers as well. Technically it’s not far from the truth as “app”
is an abbreviation for “application”, but it seems that Apple thinks
that they have the right to the term because they feel that they were
the ones who changed what it meant. This is being challenged in
Australia where Apple had lost the right to trademark the “App Store”
name, which they have since tried to appeal but lost again, and now they
have taken the case of the Australian Federal Court against the
Registrar of Trademarks. According to Apple’s counsel, Rob Webb, “The
fact that one of its components — app — was as a stand alone word,
itself in something of a transition at the date of the filing of the
application.” Webb went on to state, “We say that must reflect back to
the filing date in 2008 and one can see that at that time, it had some
layer of meaning that wasn’t purely application software.” What do you
guys think? In all honesty, whether you are an Apple critic or a fan, do
you think that Apple was responsible to making the term popular,
ultimately changing its definition?: