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Maybe they should put a maximum Damerau–Levenshtein distance in their T&C's to make it clearer for future developers?

alpaca128 6y ago
That would make it harder for Apple to apply their double standards at will. Tech companies like it when the most specific they have to get is "you violated the guidelines".
- marcinzm 6y ago
  Yup, they even remove your app if you have a trademark on the name but not the backdoor connections with Apple. Harder to do that with an actual documented process: https://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/brand-management/clubhouse-spat-1-billion-social-network-labelled-bully-over-app-takedowns https://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/brand-management/clubho...
  - mchusma 6y ago
    I agree the process with google and apple is fickle and horrible. However,I did read the article you linked, since the social media app was using the mark "clubhouse" first, they would have legal priority. To win trademark infringement cases generally you need to prove there is confusion and priority. If you happen to later get a trademark through an office, in most jurisdictions you don't get to "steal" those rights. They are quite straightforward to cancel, although it takes some time. That said, Apple and Google's policies are fickle and confusing and indeed your best bet is to have connections to their companies. IMO google is worse because Apple has a group you talk to, and google has you submit forms to something they don't typically respond to.
hn_throwaway_99 6y ago
Well, a minimum distance of 1 seems reasonable. As the article notes, these are the same words in Katakana, and the punny time was clearly intended to ride on Clubhouse's coattails.
apricot 6y ago
Making it clearer for developers is the opposite of what they want. The more obscure the rule, and the more convoluted the appeals process (if one even exists), the easier it is for the dictator to control their domain.

That would make it harder for Apple to apply their double standards at will. Tech companies like it when the most specific they have to get is "you violated the guidelines".

marcinzm 6y ago
Yup, they even remove your app if you have a trademark on the name but not the backdoor connections with Apple. Harder to do that with an actual documented process: https://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/brand-management/clubhouse-spat-1-billion-social-network-labelled-bully-over-app-takedowns https://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/brand-management/clubho...
- mchusma 6y ago
  I agree the process with google and apple is fickle and horrible. However,I did read the article you linked, since the social media app was using the mark "clubhouse" first, they would have legal priority. To win trademark infringement cases generally you need to prove there is confusion and priority. If you happen to later get a trademark through an office, in most jurisdictions you don't get to "steal" those rights. They are quite straightforward to cancel, although it takes some time. That said, Apple and Google's policies are fickle and confusing and indeed your best bet is to have connections to their companies. IMO google is worse because Apple has a group you talk to, and google has you submit forms to something they don't typically respond to.

hn_throwaway_99 6y ago

Well, a minimum distance of 1 seems reasonable. As the article notes, these are the same words in Katakana, and the punny time was clearly intended to ride on Clubhouse's coattails.

apricot 6y ago

Making it clearer for developers is the opposite of what they want. The more obscure the rule, and the more convoluted the appeals process (if one even exists), the easier it is for the dictator to control their domain.