.10 Recent Trademark Cases Around Software Development Sep 3, 2024 So much of our world today is digital. With software, we connect with friends and family all over the world, play games, run businesses, pursue education, and so much more. As technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, software developers race to stay on top. Naturally, intellectual property rights are essential to successful software. It's a common subject matter for trademark infringement cases. In today's blog, let's talk about 10 trademark cases related to software from the last 20 years. Meta Platforms, Inc. vs. Meta.Is, Inc. In October of 2021, social media giant Facebook changed their company name from Facebook, Inc. to Meta Platforms, Inc. The goal of this rebranding was to "refocus on building the metaverse." Meta now owns Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and more. Meta.Is is an artistic experience brand which began operating in 2010. In 2018, they sued Meta Platforms, Inc. for trademark infringement, claiming that a Facebook executive even attended one of their events in 2017 before the name change occurred. While that case has not been resolved in Meta.Is's favor, Meta Platforms, Inc. has since countersued Meta.Is for — you guessed it — trademark infringement. The issue here is not, it seems, how long the name has been used but rather who has the right to the Meta trademark. But as the case is still ongoing, it will be some time before we learn the court's ruling. Apple, Inc. vs. Prepear, Inc. Apple is another brand that just about everyone knows. Whether it's for their computers, their phones, or their streaming service, Apple is a giant in the world of technology. Prepear, on the other hand, is a cooking app that allows cooks to find recipes, save them into cookbooks, create custom meal plans, and even buy groceries. The services are very different, but initially, the logo that Prepear applied for trademark registration seemed to be an homage to the Apple logo, with a very minimalist image of a pear. Apple sued Prepear over this, and the two parties settled in 2021, with Prepear agreeing to modify their logo. Microsoft Corporation vs. Apple, Inc. Microsoft and Apple have been rivals for decades, especially in the computer manufacturing sphere. However, in 2008, this led to a trademark opposition. Apple filed to register a trademark for the term "APP STORE." Apple claimed this was distinctive to their brand as "app" could be short for both application and apple. However, Microsoft opposed the trademark application claiming that it was "descriptive" and thus could not be trademarked. In 2012, Apple withdrew their trademark application. Oracle America, Inc. vs. Google, LLC You may not know the name Oracle, but you likely know about Java. This programming language is all over the world of coding and technology, and it's owned by Oracle. In 2021, Oracle sued Google over their use of Java API