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Apple rejecting apps with "Pad" in the title

by Dave Caolo Apr 9th 2010 at 5:00PM

Apple is extremely protective of its trademarks, and has begun rejecting App Store submissions with "Pad" in the main title.

9to5 Mac notes that Jesse Waites, the developer behind ContactPad, has recently had an update for his app rejected because of its name (note that ContactPad is currently available; it's the update that was rejected). Apple has established a policy meant to eliminate confusion over which products were actually produced by Apple. Among the criteria is "...You may use Apple, iPad or any other word mark provided that...the Apple word mark is not part of the product name."

True, "Pad" isn't "iPad," but it's close enough in Apple's opinion.

This isn't the first time we've seen Apple request such a change. Website iLounge was previously named iPodLounge, and several years ago the makers of the iPed iPod stand were asked to reconsider their device's name (in no uncertain terms). More recently, the Little App Factory were told to change the name of iPodRip; a fix that Steve Jobs suggested was "Not that big of a deal."

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Apple is extremely protective of its trademarks, and has begun rejecting App Store submissions with "Pad" in the main title. 9to5 Mac...
 

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Jon

Someone should verify these stories before they get posted... a simple search in the app store shows ContactPad is available for purchase for the iPad for $1.99 (and has been since launch)!

And before people jump on the complaint bandwagon, it's a good idea to confirm the story for yourself too, not *everything* we read on the net is accurate :)

April 11 2010 at 6:19 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
John Meadows

So if I submit an app that finds the closet Thai restaurant and call it Pad Thai Finder it would be rejected? Or how about an apartment finder app for renters called PadFinder? Or a NASA launch video app called PadCamera?

April 10 2010 at 9:45 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
kyletress

we originally named our application MoodPad, and it was rejected. We discovered several other applications in the store that had the word 'pad' in the title, so we were pretty confused. We eventually decided to change the name of the app to moodboard instead, but we found Apple's reasoning flimsy at best.

Maybe it has something to do with capitalization? Would Moodpad have been accepted?

April 09 2010 at 9:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to kyletress's comment
kyletress

We're a tiny company, just two developers. We aren't afraid of making a little money. We NEED to make a little money to survive. I'm not interested in some futile act of defiance in which a handful of companies pull their apps from the store.

April 09 2010 at 10:25 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
The General

I'm for this. Putting pad in an iPad app name is redundant anyway. Also, I hate the "HD" badges in the iPad app icons. I hate badly named apps and ugly icons so much.

April 09 2010 at 8:19 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to The General's comment
@kcnci

If you would have had to care for an elderly parent who has had to use that particular branded product (designed by the way for the particular problem I described) you wouldn't have responded like such an arrogant jerk. So since you seem to know how to use a keyboard why not use google to check out the facts before condesending ever so clumsily to someone else.

April 11 2010 at 12:41 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
@kcnci

You do realize that's close to the name of the incontinence product used by women... PoisePads.... ouch!

April 09 2010 at 7:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to @kcnci's comment
The General

Incontinence? LOL, you have a lot to learn, son.

April 09 2010 at 8:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
SIP

Why the hysterics? Apple has to protect its trademarks or it loses them.

April 09 2010 at 7:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to SIP's comment
Martin

Because it's bullshit what they're doing, plain and simple. Yes, they have to protect their trademarks. But guess what? They don't have a trademark on words with the letters p a d in them.

The hysterics are because of the extremes that Apple is going.

April 09 2010 at 7:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Proxima

Curious, because they had no problem accepting my app "Distant Suns for the iPad" last week. Something I initially wasn't going to do until someone else did the same thing.

April 09 2010 at 7:27 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
shawn

It will be interesting to see how his pans out. I just submitted an update today for my app, PosePad. I was nervous on the first submission about the name but relieved when I saw it approved on v1.0.

Now that ive committed myself to that name (domain name, email, website design, title screen in the app), it would be a royal pain to change it. I understand not allowing iPad but just the word pad should not be considered as infringement.

April 09 2010 at 7:20 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Rich

Does this mean they are also laying claim to notepad?

April 09 2010 at 5:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
George

And of course if PADI were to release a dive calculator for the iPhone, it would be denied for that reason.

April 09 2010 at 5:58 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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