Apple abandons App Store trademark case against Amazon

Apple’s long-running lawsuit against Amazon for its use of the “App Store” trademark might finally be coming to an end as Reuters reports a judge has dismissed the case at the request of the companies. The report claims U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton in California dismissed the case “after Apple issued to Amazon a covenant not to sue, eliminating the need for Amazon to pursue a related counterclaim.”

“We no longer see a need to pursue our case,” Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said. “With more than 900,000 apps and 50 billion downloads, customers know where they can purchase their favorite apps.”

A spokesperson for Amazon said “This was a decision by Apple to unilaterally abandon the case, and leave Amazon free to use ‘appstore’.

The lawsuit was originally launched in March of 2011 following the launch of the Amazon Appstore for Android. Amazon initially requested the case be thrown out claiming “the term ‘app store’ to refer to stores selling apps is commonplace in the industry,” and in January the two companies were ordered into settlement talks ahead of a trial originally scheduled for next month.

“We’re gratified that the court has conclusively dismissed this case,” Amazon spokeswoman Mary Osako said. “We look forward to continuing our focus on delivering the best possible appstore experience to customers and developers.”