Apple is Launching a New App

The USPTO is a wonderful place to see what innovation the world has to offer. Filed in Jamaica (as usual) on June 4, 2015, and in the USA on November 30, 2015, a Trademark application for an App Icon reveals that Apple has a new app coming down the pipes, although its purpose slightly nebulous. A vague description of the…

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NoteStream Files for 3D Rendition of a 2D Trademark

Sometimes there are decisions that boggle the mind. NoteStream’s application for their app icon trademark in a 3D perspective is one such decision. Presumably, the app icon will appear as a square on the smartphone or tablet, yet the application shows the icon “placed at an angle so that it appears three-dimensional with a stylized ‘N’ inside”. The iTunes version…

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Assurant Corners Propeller Beanie

Assurant’s Pocket Geek App is protected not by one but two US TM applications. In August 2014, Assurant applied for the same image, one with black ink on a white background and the other its negative, white ink on a black background. This is wise practice, since it is reasonable to assume that one image is different enough from the…

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Glimmer Trademarks Augmented Reality App Icon

Ever wanted a dancing tattoo? With Glimmer, you can! The Glimmer ‘augmented reality’ app combines a temporary tattoo that comes alive when viewed on the screen of a smartphone. The App’s US Trademark application protects a capital “A” with a heart in the middle. Augmented reality is coming, and this is one of the first Apps out there.

Google Appropriates the Etch A Sketch

Filed on February 20, 2015, Google’s latest trademark application (No. 86540971) for an App Icon has seemingly appropriated the Etch A Sketch. At first glance, the Icon looks like a happy face with the YouTube logo on its forehead. However, there is a striking familiarity to it, and anyone who has played with an Etch A Sketch will recognize the…

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Doggie Gone Corrects Mistake

Doggie Gone may have set a precedent in the App Icon TM world: its black and white specimen of use was rejected. Doggie Gone, a game about a wayward dog, filed US TM application No. 86249410 on April 11, 2014. The Examiner did not accept the black and white specimen of use based on the fact that the specimen, demonstrating…

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OpLink Omits Color

OpLink Security has applied for a trademark for their App Icon. They decided to leave their color options open, and filed for a black and white combination instead, even though their iTunes Icon is in color. This way, they can change color schemes throughout the life of the trademark without jeopardizing scope of TM protection. Indeed, if you are not…

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Aunt Flo Tracker App

Lovetap’s “Female By Design” App is designed to track the periods, fertility and general well-being. Its App Icon features a shape resembling a heart or the letter V on a red background. This is a very good design, because it is not clear whether it’s a heart of a V, and competitors would be prudent to avoid getting too close…

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LittleCast eyes big TM

LittleCast, a video player for Facebook videos, has applied for its App Icon trademark on September 11, 2013. It is so generic that should the USPTO allows this trademark, LittleCast will have difficulties pursuing copycats unless the copycat uses exactly the same image. Why? The trademark is too broad, using the universally-accepted ‘play’ button image. No one can be barred…

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