App Store Lessons: Picking an application name

Everybody who needs advice in this should have a look at screendelight.com, they got a bad-ass online course covering everything app development.

@goingblind: yes, but if your movie doesn't get the rating you want from the MPAA, 1) they'll tell you what to do to get the rating you want (do something about this scene, etc) and 2) if you really can't stand the answer you can blow off the MPAA and release it unrated. Neither of those apply to the App Store - you get a vague notice of rejection, and no other options for release of your app.

That being said, I think their policy with regard to the name is utterly reasonable. The way to tell if a name is going to get approved is to submit it for approval. No one, Apple included, has the time to deal with a bunch of hypothetical questions. This is pretty standard practice for any body that does approvals of anything.

It is so odd how everything related to the App Store is so much different than the rest of Apple. Seems to be completely separate from the Apple we know and love.

better yet. just one called "Ate My Balls" and you could put in all kinds of folks, not just Phil

While the process is clearly imperfect, it has produced a tremendous opportunity for developers and users alike. They have gotten a massive number of apps visible and deployed in a very short time.

Yes, I know Apple can be annoying to deal with and we should provide constructive criticism, but also consider what they've accomplished and the number of apps and developers they're working with.

I had to be safe choosing the title for my app because I didn't want to be rejected. The original title I thought of already existed in the Store so I had to use not-so-similar one to avoid rejection. And now I see that I could probably use the first title, Apple doesn't care. Anyway, do you think that my title 'Restaurant Share' works for a bill splitter?

I'd rather have root canal than assume I'm going to get any help at all via email from Apple's "Developer Relations" folks. Their email is a black hole of darkness.

I had to make changes, at Apple's request, to my seven apps in the store. I did, and four weeks ago emailed to let them know they were done and needed their help to complete, once again, the changes that THEY requested. Not a word since. Nothing. Nada. Four weeks.

If any other company didn't bother getting back to me after four weeks I'd never, ever do business with them again. But this is what developers go through to play in Apple's little closed garden.

I think I'll just go to HTML5, JS and CSS for apps and forget the store all together from now on.

Is it just me or are we all getting over excited regarding the approval process. The movies industry can sometimes invest millions of $/£ into producing a movie and then have to present it for classification, not knowing if the original movie will receive any classification let alone the desired one. Many movies are then re-edited and in various countries renamed to suit either the demands of the bodies classifying the movie or previous art/movies with the same or similar name.
I agree you know roughly what you can and can't get away with in a 12 rated movie before you start filming, however as the classifications are awarded by humans the goal posts move and change depending on that person/s interpretation of the rules or guidelines and it's the same in with the App store or any system with a gate keeper. This doesn't mean it's a perfect system, but I would like to think our Apple rulers have protected us from apps we really don't want!

Come on!!

The problem of identical application names is common to and even goes beyond all software platforms, whether mobile, desktop or whatever.

Any chance of a balanced view here of how this issue is handled on other platforms or in the desktop world etc?

Lord knows how many lawsuits are filed the length and breadth of the known Universe for name and logo infringements. Naturally the larger corporations are more familiar with this process, probably having fallen foul of its provisions at one time or the other.

Argh - I mean, it's "now called 'Space Binos'" !