8 ms·

Microsoft abandon Metro name due to legal challenge

168 points by i386 14y ago

crazygringo 14y ago
But how can there be trademark confusion between a retail store and an OS interface? I'm really surprised at this. Or was Metro just a codename all along, the word never used in the Windows 8 product itself? In which case, not worth a fight?
- dangrossman 14y ago
  Metro AG owns lines of consumer electronics stores. Microsoft owns a line of consumer electronics stores. The word Metro would have possibly appeared on signage, receipts, marketing, etc. in either store.
  - skeletonjelly 14y ago
    Wait Microsoft has stores?
    - extesy 14y ago
      Yes, they do: http://www.microsoftstore.com http://www.microsoftstore.com
- progrock 14y ago
  Yeah and how can you trademark a word like 'Apple.' It beggars belief. How about Microsoft Metro?
  - Zenst 14y ago
    Oh the history of Apple vs Apple records (setup by the beatles - music group some heard of) is a realy good read. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps_v_Apple_Computer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps_v_Apple_Computer
  - jopt 14y ago
    Words aren't sacred. Words become names and names become words. It's all fairly fluid. Future generations won't know what a college facebook is, and they'll think Google is an obvious name for a website where you google things.
- zanny 14y ago
  I hear trademarks, patents, and copyrights still make sense anymore, and everyone should be surprised at how outrageously overbearing they are in this context. Honestly though, after at least half a dozen stories a week on HN about patent, trademark, and copyright trolling, and decades of everyone experiencing the intellectual property minefield, no one should be surprised anymore that crap like this happens. What is surprising is that it happened to Microsoft and they didn't wage legal warfare over it since they were so close to release.
ktizo 14y ago
Oh zune.
- marze 14y ago
  I love short jokes.
martingordon 14y ago
This is truly a shame and probably explains why Microsoft chose Windows Phone OS instead of Metro OS. I wonder why they didn't attempt to license the name or fight it (since it's unlikely that using the same name for a UI style and a retailer would cause any consumer confusion).
- fpgeek 14y ago
  That doesn't mean picking "Windows Phone" isn't still a blunder. "Windows" is not a great brand to begin with and it already had a worse reputation after Microsoft abandoned Windows Mobile. Unfortunately, all of the WP7 shenanigans have only made this worse. At this point, they really should go with something like "Xbox Phone" and I half-wonder if they'd do better with "Bob Phone" (it was at least a long time ago).
pflats 14y ago
Huh. The Metro Group is much, much bigger than I imagined when I saw it was a German store. Wikipedia says they're the 5th biggest retailer in the world, 67B Euro in revenue in 2010. Surprised this American, that's for sure. I can imagine why Microsoft would rather just let this one go. edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_AG http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_AG, naturally.
- runn1ng 14y ago
  I am not sure about American equivalent, but in here (Czech), it operates under the name "makro" and it is these kind of hypermarkets for smaller and middle sized bussinesses and they have everything in smaller prices and bulk sizes/bigger boxes, that don't make sense for individuals but do make sense for, say, a small restaurant. from wikipedia: "Core customer groups are hotels, restaurants, caterers, traders and other business professionals."
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
  - citricsquid 14y ago
    According to Wikipedia "makro" also exists in the UK: > In 2009, Makro is the third largest cash & carry wholesaler in the UK with a turnover of £1.1bn and a portfolio of 30 depots nationally. I've not heard of them before (lived in England all my life) , it makes me wonder how many other giant companies fly under the layman's radar.
    - erichocean 14y ago
      > it makes me wonder how many other giant companies fly under the layman's radar Many, many huge companies fly under the radar.
    - ricardobeat 14y ago
      It's huge in Brazil too. Their stores are most popular among small business owners (or very large families), since you get better prices buying in bulk. They're also usually located in somewhat remote parts of the city.
StacyC 14y ago
MS is like the Keystone Cops of the tech world sometimes.
hdivider 14y ago
I doubt this will have a lasting negative impact on the Windows 8 platform, because I suspect that the majority of mainstream users haven't really encoded the 'Metro' name into their minds yet. Still, if this is true, it's not great news for MS. (And neither for those who have already registered sites like metrodev.com)
Scorponok 14y ago
Someone really dropped the ball on this. They should have had this figured out before they used the name "Metro" for the first time.
drivebyacct2 14y ago
How did this not come up before?
dkhenry 14y ago
This is rather silly, I wonder if this is also why Longhorn was changed to Vista. I for one hope the use of Metro sticks around just to spite Metro AG.
- notatoad 14y ago
  Longhorn wasn't changed to vista, it was always a code name and never intended for release. Just like windows whistler and windows blackcomb were never intended to be release names.
  - jaredsohn 14y ago
    For those curious, those names came about because there is a Longhorn Bar in the Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort in British Columbia. Here is Wikipedia's list of Microsoft codenames: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Microsoft_codenames http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Microsoft_codenames. Strangely, the article lists Metro as the Windows 7 UI. Also, the XML Paper Specification (XPS) had previously also used the Metro codename.
- r00fus 14y ago
  That would be a stupid (and costly) mistake. Better to forge a deal with Metro AG, pay the piper, and invest in the brand. Perhaps that's what will ultimately happen - if you remember the Cisco/iPhone "debacle", that was free earned media. Apple essentially paid Cisco for keeping the iPhone name alive in the media for weeks.
freditup 14y ago
I'm not sure how much of an impact this will have. I'm guessing that the name 'Metro' will stick around, even if Microsoft doesn't officially use it.
notatoad 14y ago
I like this. 'metro' is unnecessary jargon, a design language does not need to have a trademark name. Just referring to it as what it is makes a lot more sense.
- panacea 14y ago
  Why can't a design language have a name (not necessarily a trademark)? It can be used to differentiate it from what it's not. Programmers use names for everything, why can't a design have a name? Apple had the aqua visual style, that is no longer with us.
  - commandar 14y ago
    Wouldn't this be more akin to Cocoa and Carbon in the Apple world? Metro goes a bit deeper than just the UI layer, as I understand it.
    - jopt 14y ago
      Not quite. Cocoa is really just an Objective-C API, though it's coupled with Aqua through Xcode and recent innovations like AutoLayout, whereby HIG policies are enforced by code. Metro seems to be more than that.
- ryanwhitney 14y ago
  I have mixed feelings. The Metro UI described one specific portion of the Windows 8 interface, which gives it a use for differentiating between metro-style and old-windows-style. It seemed like good branding. And, one that could be shared across platforms. Now it's "Window 8 Phone featuring Windows 8-style UI" where the unique Metro branding could have served well. Then again, I noticed a friend had Windows 8 loaded on his laptop the other day, and he had no idea what I was talking about when I asked how "metro" was
- briandear 14y ago
  They could all it Windows Metropolitan Sevice Pack for Workgroups Infringement Edition.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
- ConstantineXVI 14y ago
  Or call it 'Klatmi'; bastardized from 'klagt mich' or 'sue me'[0] [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sosumi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sosumi
- briandear 14y ago
  Yeah, total butt heads for not wanting Microsoft to dilute their trademark. If the public starts to associate Metro with Microsoft, then that does affect them. Besides Metro isn't even that exciting of a name. Just some rudimentary due diligence in MS's part could have avoided this whole thing. Balmer has some idiots working for him.
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
gvb 14y ago
I loved the suggestion They should condense it to the "W8" or "wait" UI. I wish I had thought of that! I know what I'll be referring to Win8 from now on. :-D
- hdivider 14y ago
  As nice as that may sound, I don't think Windows 8 is a 'wait' UI. Once you learn how to use it properly it's actually significantly faster than Windows 7.
  - huggyface 14y ago
    What's faster? I've never read even the most fervent proponent advocate it as either a more efficient or speedy (from a usability) perspective. That isn't to harsh on it -- the compromise is better touch usability and purportedly better aesthetics, although that is deeply subjective.
    - polshaw 14y ago
      From a usability perspective, the start screen is faster than clicking items on the start menu. MS wrote a very convincing blog post on the matter full of statistics (which i agree with mostly). Similarly, the ribbon interface in explorer allows for quicker access. It also has lower requirements than windows 7 IIRC, so that indicates it should be snappier, and it has faster boot times.
      - CamperBob2 14y ago
        From a usability perspective, the start screen is faster than clicking items on the start menu. However, that's only true because Microsoft kneecapped the Start menu in Windows 7. I wouldn't use Windows 7 without Classic Shell (http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/ http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/) and I'm sure the same will be true for Windows 8, if/when I'm forced to move to it.
  - briandear 14y ago
    What does 'properly' mean? Does that mean it must be tweaked and optimized to run fast?
nhebb 14y ago
They should just tweak the spelling to Windows Metwo. Then they could market it as Windows Me 2.0. I know that's a ridiculous, non-HN type of comment, but really it's no more ridiculous than someone confusing a software UI style with a retail store.
- sp332 14y ago
  MS also has retail stores though.
  - nhebb 14y ago
    That's a valid point. I don't think the brick and mortar store would be a factor, but if Microsoft's app store had a Metro app section, then Metro AG would have a legitimate claim to defend their trademark.
- modernshoggoth 14y ago
  Windows Me, Too? Excellent.
- sliverstorm 14y ago
  Windows ME 2.0 A more brilliant way to kill sales, I have never heard.
- sageikosa 14y ago
  Too close to a Pokemon name
  - iy56 14y ago
    If someone confusing a style of software UI with a retail store is unlikely, confusing it with a Pokemon is even more unlikely.
InclinedPlane 14y ago
I think I'll wait for a more trustworthy confirmation of this rumor to get worked up about it.
54mf 14y ago
Metro is just about the only thing Microsoft has going for it these days, as far as I'm concerned. What a blunder.
- andywhite37 14y ago
  The marketing churn surrounding Windows 8/Windows RT/WinRT/Metro style/Windows 8 style/etc. is just confounding and embarrassing. Maybe I'm over-reacting as a somewhat-interested software developer, but this just seems like a complete fail. I agree with other commenters that the concept of "Metro" probably doesn't mean anything to the average consumer yet, so maybe this isn't a huge deal, but the concept/style/codename of "Metro" was definitely the only bright spot in the situation, so it's sad to see that term go.
- r00fus 14y ago
  Kinnect is a winner, too.
  - 54mf 14y ago
    Indeed. When I say "just about", I'm referring to the Xbox division. Some good stuff happening there too.
Steko 14y ago
Why not submit the more substantial link from ars technica? The Loop link we have here is basically the same one liner Gruber made but 30 minutes later. {this decribes a lot of posts from The Loop}
obilgic 14y ago
Maybe changing the name of the product when it is finally released to the public is a good idea?, they basically remove the link between the early reviews and the final product. So the public might not even see the these initial bad reviews etc.
secoif 14y ago
"Windows 8-style UI"???? Did their legal team pick that name? This says so much about the state of Microsoft. This new name has a totally different persona and sends a confusing, unsexy message about Microsoft's vision for the future. It shows no competent person/team is in charge of maintaining a unified, consistent brand, but I guess we already knew that. The name "Metro" must have been an accident. Is "Windows 8-style UI" even really a name? It's more of a literal description. I don't know how you could pick something more lacklustre. The experience formerly known as "Metro" encapsulates all of the innovative, risky developments Microsoft has been making on the UI front, with mostly positive responses (at least regarding the appearance). Metro was the word for Microsoft's sex appeal. Changing the name to something so unmemorable and vanilla is like deleting the word and its definition from the dictionary. While this could have been a great opportunity to fuel the hype for the new UI with a slick new name, instead they choose to wet blanket the whole thing, making "Metro" not even really a thing anymore. Microsoft needs help, they're clearly very, very sick.
- drivebyacct2 14y ago
  You could have at least read the article fully before going on a diatribe about Microsoft based on what they name a style guide. Jeesh. That's what they're supposed to call it until the settle on a new name by the end of the week.
  - secoif 14y ago
    Ok, the hyperbole of both articles got me. > From now on, the new terminology that Microsoft is using is "Windows 8-style UI"… and "New User Interface". The blog post carefully omitted the final, critical line in the parent article (I skipped the line myself): > As we get closer to launch and transition from industry dialog to a broad consumer dialog we will use our commercial names.
    - drivebyacct2 14y ago
      Sorry, I forgot the crap article got posted instead of the better one. http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/2/3216545/microsoft-metro-branding-memo-european-partner http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/2/3216545/microsoft-metro-bra...
cft 14y ago
It's actually a good thing for them. Generic bland names, such as "Metro", "Live", "Color", "Slide" do not work. "New iPad" is better.
- MartinCron 14y ago
  Have you forgotten how much everyone hated the iPad name when it was first announced? "New iPad" only sounds good because people have come to the love the iPad.
  - ralfd 14y ago
    Remember when Nintendo anounced the name "Wii"? Everyone was ridiculing it and web cartoonists had a productive work day. And then everybody moved on and today it is just normal.
- Zr40 14y ago
  But the third-generation iPad is just called that, 'iPad'. It's only referred to by Apple as 'new iPad' in contexts where its new features are described, or to distinguish it from the previous iPad, such as in the online store.
snowwrestler 14y ago
Before it came out, the best guess for the name of an Apple phone was "iPhone." But Cisco already produced an Internet phone called iPhone. Apple called their phone iPhone anyway and told their lawyers to work out the price with Cisco. On the one hand this makes Apple look like jerks, but on the other hand there is no question who is in charge of marketing: the marketing guys. Not the lawyers. This decision by Microsoft seems in sharp contrast. Here the lawyers are telling the marketing guys what to do. And the result is laughably bad. It's too bad because "Metro" was a great brand name for a new user interface.
- MartinCron 14y ago
  This is making me really angry. Dropping the Metro name is just so... spineless. There are lots of great, simple, evocative brand names that happen to overlap with other totally different kinds of things. There's no more chance of people mistaking the windows 8 UI style with a German retailer than they are with a bus (the Seattle area mass transit service is called "Metro King County"). I don't want to live in a world where cowardly lawyers force every brand name to have an i- prefix, z used as a plural, or missing vowels in the middle. This is why we can't have nice things.
  - notatoad 14y ago
    The headline and the linked article really seem to be setting the wrong tone for this. Metro (the store) and Microsoft are friends. Metro sells microsoft stuff, the two parties make each other a ton of money. Metro says "hey guys, can you call your stuff something else" and microsoft says "sure, no problem buddy". This is how the world should work.
    - snowwrestler 14y ago
      If they're friends, why couldn't Metro-the-store have said "cool name, we obviously like it, maybe it will help us with our store branding"? Instead they puffed up their chests and Microsoft rolled. (tin foil hat on) - I wonder if there was internal support at Microsoft for dropping the name Metro, and this trademark question simply provided the cover for it. MS has repeatedly made the decision that they want the "Windows" name to be primary for EVERYTHING--even when it makes no sense like "Windows Phone". Maybe this is just evidence of the Windows brand people winning yet another internecine war within Microsoft. Maybe a decision this bad could only be made by powerful people who think they're making a good decision.
russtrpkovski 14y ago
Apple would have kept the Metro name and settled out of court later. Its a shame that Microsoft is too risk-averse.
recoiledsnake 14y ago
Better story than the blogspam linked: http://www.zdnet.com/is-metro-now-a-banned-word-at-microsoft-7000002052/ http://www.zdnet.com/is-metro-now-a-banned-word-at-microsoft... This is actually a good move, since the Metro design philosophy was getting confused with the WinRT environment. You can make a WinRT app that's not Metro looking, and you can also make a Desktop app that's Metro (see MetroTwit http://www.metrotwit.com/wp-content/themes/MetroTwit2012/images/mtwindows8_screen.png http://www.metrotwit.com/wp-content/themes/MetroTwit2012/ima... ). So the two different app types in Windows 8 will be WinRT apps and Desktop apps. Not a big fan of the 'Windows 8 style UI' terminology though, maybe they should come up with a different name to represent the design philosophy.
- isani 14y ago
  I think this is a demotion for desktop apps. The phrase "Windows 8 style UI" implies that the colorful rectangle look is the style for Windows 8. The classic desktop environment, by implication, is not Windows 8 style.
  - aggronn 14y ago
    The Metro look is supposed to be ported to the desktop experience (see: office 13, github for windows). Their intention is for normal desktop applications to adopt his theme. The classic desktop environment is windows 8 style. Apps that are not developed for it, certainly are not Windows 8 style.
- mtgx 14y ago
  WinRT can already get confused with "Windows RT". You certainly can't confuse Microsoft with a company that's good at naming things.
dhughes 14y ago
Why not just call it Urban?
10098 14y ago
But everybody is going to call it "Metro" anyway!
petercooper 14y ago
Microsoft might abandon it, but as a name for a certain visual style, I suspect "Metro" will live on. (Consider Ajax. Also a brand of cleaning products.) It's too distinctive a style to either lack a name or be tied to one product (like Windows 8).
Zenst 14y ago
Class, not the first time a company have publicly announced a product before launch, rolled with it for a year then then just before launch got pointed out there nicking somebody else's name. Metro is also a free newspaper in the UK, name of a subway system.... RIM had the same level of snafu recently as well with the whole BBX branding they went on about and then got told it was somebody elses. Microsoft could just add another M infront and call it MMetro, but whatever they call it, it's putting a mobile phone interface onto a desktop, so what do they call it on there mobile platform? ALso why did they pick Metro - what did it stand for Microsoft Enormous Tile Royalty Option(!) Meaningless Enviroment To Ride Obscurity(!) I don't know and I don't think they did either. Still at least we have more faith in them testing thre software than we do there naming, don't we.
- eblade 14y ago
  Could it be that newspaper and subway system that were named Metro are both operating locally so there's no brand confusion while Metro AG has worldwide operations?
  - Zenst 14y ago
    More than likely, but it is understandable that nobody would want to be associated with what microsoft is pushing out as a UI. I also wonder though that it is this late stage that perhaps Metro AG is not that big of a global brand that the only confusion would be non existant. Especialy as there business appears as unrelated as any paper or tube train. Still its PR for Metro AG and given the late stage maybe some potentual pay off from Microsoft, why else leave it until now.
damian2000 14y ago
A legal challenge has never stopped them before. Also you'd imagine they could always come to some compensation agreement.
Argorak 14y ago
Just some facts for those that don't understand how Metro AG can strong-arm Microsoft into changing their brand name: Metro ows Media Markt ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Markt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Markt ) and Saturn ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_(store) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_(store) ), both of which are huge electronics stores in Europe all the way to Russia. Media Markt is the second largest electronics retailer after Best Buy _worldwide_. Both already have an agreement with Apple about store in store. The worst thing Microsoft could do is piss them off, even if they would win the trademark dispute in court. Also, it would lead to the strange situation that you could buy "Metro" (the UI) products in a "Metro" store, which could lead to actual confusion.
- Gring 14y ago
  Metro AG is not a brand recognized by the public. People only know the names of its retailers. I live in an area with those stores, and if you asked any random passerbys what "Metro" is, they would come up with references to public transport, not Metro AG. This is also not the first time Metro AG pressed other brands that are interacting with the public into a name change. It did the same thing with the free european commuter's newspaper "Metro", resulting in a name change in at least one country (Switzerland). http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2008/sep/22/europe2 http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2008/sep/22/europ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_International http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_International
  - Argorak 14y ago
    Sorry, but thats no true. Metro does have stores called METRO which are well known and they do have electronics departments (hence the reference to being able to buy "Metro" at "Metro"). Not internationally maybe, but in Germany, everyone knows Metro as a cash and carry store as well. http://www.n-tv.de/img/67/674025/O_1000_680_680_metro.jpg http://www.n-tv.de/img/67/674025/O_1000_680_680_metro.jpg And as I said: even if Metro AGs claim is not valid, they are not one to piss off as someone who sells electronics or software.
    - 14y ago
thepumpkin1979 14y ago
Same thing happended with Windows Workflow Foundation in 2005. http://blogs.msdn.com/b/scottwoo/archive/2005/10/13/480676.aspx http://blogs.msdn.com/b/scottwoo/archive/2005/10/13/480676.a...
dutchbrit 14y ago
Seriously, "Metro"? It's a dictionary word, and they are completely in different branches. I wouldn't expect Microsoft to give up just like that..
lubos 14y ago
I call bullshit on this one. Metro is a dictionary word so it cannot be trademarked as it is. I don't believe Microsoft would give up so easily.
- fijal 14y ago
  So is apple, so is amazon. that's a very moot argument.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- grabeh 14y ago
  Broadly speaking, any word can be trade marked if it is distinctive/not descriptive. Apple is distinctive for computers, but not for actual apples. As a result, I couldn't get a trade mark for 'Apple' for apples, but I could (or at least Apple did) for computers etc.
manojlds 14y ago
How come this is coming up only now? Didn't WP7 release in 2010?
stupandaus 14y ago
According to the zdnet article linked by recoilednsake: Update: A spokesperson is now saying the reason for this Metro de-emphasis is not related to any litigation. (I asked if it is related to any kind of copyright dispute that hasn't yet gone to litigation and was told there would be no further comment.) The spokesperson added: “We have used Metro style as a code name during the product development cycle across many of our product lines. As we get closer to launch and transition from industry dialog to a broad consumer dialog we will use our commercial names.”
- libria 14y ago
  Their earlier literature makes this harder to believe: > Metro is our design language. We call it Metro because it's modern and clean. It's fast and in motion. It's about content and typography. And it's entirely authentic. At some point, trying to spin something obviously related to legal issues makes you look silly. Why not just say they respect the established brand and gain nice-guy points?
bonch 14y ago
Mary Jo Foley says a Microsoft spokesperson told her the change wasn't due to a legal challenge.

168 points by i386 14y ago

But how can there be trademark confusion between a retail store and an OS interface? I'm really surprised at this. Or was Metro just a codename all along, the word never used in the Windows 8 product itself? In which case, not worth a fight?

dangrossman 14y ago
Metro AG owns lines of consumer electronics stores. Microsoft owns a line of consumer electronics stores. The word Metro would have possibly appeared on signage, receipts, marketing, etc. in either store.
- skeletonjelly 14y ago
  Wait Microsoft has stores?
  - extesy 14y ago
    Yes, they do: http://www.microsoftstore.com http://www.microsoftstore.com
progrock 14y ago
Yeah and how can you trademark a word like 'Apple.' It beggars belief. How about Microsoft Metro?
- Zenst 14y ago
  Oh the history of Apple vs Apple records (setup by the beatles - music group some heard of) is a realy good read. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps_v_Apple_Computer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps_v_Apple_Computer
- jopt 14y ago
  Words aren't sacred. Words become names and names become words. It's all fairly fluid. Future generations won't know what a college facebook is, and they'll think Google is an obvious name for a website where you google things.
zanny 14y ago
I hear trademarks, patents, and copyrights still make sense anymore, and everyone should be surprised at how outrageously overbearing they are in this context. Honestly though, after at least half a dozen stories a week on HN about patent, trademark, and copyright trolling, and decades of everyone experiencing the intellectual property minefield, no one should be surprised anymore that crap like this happens. What is surprising is that it happened to Microsoft and they didn't wage legal warfare over it since they were so close to release.

ktizo 14y ago

Oh zune.

marze 14y ago
I love short jokes.

martingordon 14y ago

This is truly a shame and probably explains why Microsoft chose Windows Phone OS instead of Metro OS. I wonder why they didn't attempt to license the name or fight it (since it's unlikely that using the same name for a UI style and a retailer would cause any consumer confusion).

fpgeek 14y ago
That doesn't mean picking "Windows Phone" isn't still a blunder. "Windows" is not a great brand to begin with and it already had a worse reputation after Microsoft abandoned Windows Mobile. Unfortunately, all of the WP7 shenanigans have only made this worse. At this point, they really should go with something like "Xbox Phone" and I half-wonder if they'd do better with "Bob Phone" (it was at least a long time ago).

pflats 14y ago

Huh. The Metro Group is much, much bigger than I imagined when I saw it was a German store. Wikipedia says they're the 5th biggest retailer in the world, 67B Euro in revenue in 2010. Surprised this American, that's for sure. I can imagine why Microsoft would rather just let this one go. edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_AG http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_AG, naturally.

runn1ng 14y ago
I am not sure about American equivalent, but in here (Czech), it operates under the name "makro" and it is these kind of hypermarkets for smaller and middle sized bussinesses and they have everything in smaller prices and bulk sizes/bigger boxes, that don't make sense for individuals but do make sense for, say, a small restaurant. from wikipedia: "Core customer groups are hotels, restaurants, caterers, traders and other business professionals."
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- citricsquid 14y ago
  According to Wikipedia "makro" also exists in the UK: > In 2009, Makro is the third largest cash & carry wholesaler in the UK with a turnover of £1.1bn and a portfolio of 30 depots nationally. I've not heard of them before (lived in England all my life) , it makes me wonder how many other giant companies fly under the layman's radar.
  - erichocean 14y ago
    > it makes me wonder how many other giant companies fly under the layman's radar Many, many huge companies fly under the radar.
  - ricardobeat 14y ago
    It's huge in Brazil too. Their stores are most popular among small business owners (or very large families), since you get better prices buying in bulk. They're also usually located in somewhat remote parts of the city.

StacyC 14y ago

MS is like the Keystone Cops of the tech world sometimes.

hdivider 14y ago

I doubt this will have a lasting negative impact on the Windows 8 platform, because I suspect that the majority of mainstream users haven't really encoded the 'Metro' name into their minds yet. Still, if this is true, it's not great news for MS. (And neither for those who have already registered sites like metrodev.com)

Scorponok 14y ago

Someone really dropped the ball on this. They should have had this figured out before they used the name "Metro" for the first time.

drivebyacct2 14y ago

How did this not come up before?

dkhenry 14y ago

This is rather silly, I wonder if this is also why Longhorn was changed to Vista. I for one hope the use of Metro sticks around just to spite Metro AG.

notatoad 14y ago
Longhorn wasn't changed to vista, it was always a code name and never intended for release. Just like windows whistler and windows blackcomb were never intended to be release names.
- jaredsohn 14y ago
  For those curious, those names came about because there is a Longhorn Bar in the Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort in British Columbia. Here is Wikipedia's list of Microsoft codenames: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Microsoft_codenames http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Microsoft_codenames. Strangely, the article lists Metro as the Windows 7 UI. Also, the XML Paper Specification (XPS) had previously also used the Metro codename.
r00fus 14y ago
That would be a stupid (and costly) mistake. Better to forge a deal with Metro AG, pay the piper, and invest in the brand. Perhaps that's what will ultimately happen - if you remember the Cisco/iPhone "debacle", that was free earned media. Apple essentially paid Cisco for keeping the iPhone name alive in the media for weeks.

freditup 14y ago

I'm not sure how much of an impact this will have. I'm guessing that the name 'Metro' will stick around, even if Microsoft doesn't officially use it.

notatoad 14y ago

I like this. 'metro' is unnecessary jargon, a design language does not need to have a trademark name. Just referring to it as what it is makes a lot more sense.

panacea 14y ago
Why can't a design language have a name (not necessarily a trademark)? It can be used to differentiate it from what it's not. Programmers use names for everything, why can't a design have a name? Apple had the aqua visual style, that is no longer with us.
- commandar 14y ago
  Wouldn't this be more akin to Cocoa and Carbon in the Apple world? Metro goes a bit deeper than just the UI layer, as I understand it.
  - jopt 14y ago
    Not quite. Cocoa is really just an Objective-C API, though it's coupled with Aqua through Xcode and recent innovations like AutoLayout, whereby HIG policies are enforced by code. Metro seems to be more than that.
ryanwhitney 14y ago
I have mixed feelings. The Metro UI described one specific portion of the Windows 8 interface, which gives it a use for differentiating between metro-style and old-windows-style. It seemed like good branding. And, one that could be shared across platforms. Now it's "Window 8 Phone featuring Windows 8-style UI" where the unique Metro branding could have served well. Then again, I noticed a friend had Windows 8 loaded on his laptop the other day, and he had no idea what I was talking about when I asked how "metro" was
briandear 14y ago
They could all it Windows Metropolitan Sevice Pack for Workgroups Infringement Edition.

deleted 14y ago

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ConstantineXVI 14y ago
Or call it 'Klatmi'; bastardized from 'klagt mich' or 'sue me'[0] [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sosumi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sosumi
briandear 14y ago
Yeah, total butt heads for not wanting Microsoft to dilute their trademark. If the public starts to associate Metro with Microsoft, then that does affect them. Besides Metro isn't even that exciting of a name. Just some rudimentary due diligence in MS's part could have avoided this whole thing. Balmer has some idiots working for him.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]

gvb 14y ago

I loved the suggestion They should condense it to the "W8" or "wait" UI. I wish I had thought of that! I know what I'll be referring to Win8 from now on. :-D

hdivider 14y ago
As nice as that may sound, I don't think Windows 8 is a 'wait' UI. Once you learn how to use it properly it's actually significantly faster than Windows 7.
- huggyface 14y ago
  What's faster? I've never read even the most fervent proponent advocate it as either a more efficient or speedy (from a usability) perspective. That isn't to harsh on it -- the compromise is better touch usability and purportedly better aesthetics, although that is deeply subjective.
  - polshaw 14y ago
    From a usability perspective, the start screen is faster than clicking items on the start menu. MS wrote a very convincing blog post on the matter full of statistics (which i agree with mostly). Similarly, the ribbon interface in explorer allows for quicker access. It also has lower requirements than windows 7 IIRC, so that indicates it should be snappier, and it has faster boot times.
    - CamperBob2 14y ago
      From a usability perspective, the start screen is faster than clicking items on the start menu. However, that's only true because Microsoft kneecapped the Start menu in Windows 7. I wouldn't use Windows 7 without Classic Shell (http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/ http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/) and I'm sure the same will be true for Windows 8, if/when I'm forced to move to it.
- briandear 14y ago
  What does 'properly' mean? Does that mean it must be tweaked and optimized to run fast?

nhebb 14y ago

They should just tweak the spelling to Windows Metwo. Then they could market it as Windows Me 2.0. I know that's a ridiculous, non-HN type of comment, but really it's no more ridiculous than someone confusing a software UI style with a retail store.

sp332 14y ago
MS also has retail stores though.
- nhebb 14y ago
  That's a valid point. I don't think the brick and mortar store would be a factor, but if Microsoft's app store had a Metro app section, then Metro AG would have a legitimate claim to defend their trademark.
modernshoggoth 14y ago
Windows Me, Too? Excellent.
sliverstorm 14y ago
Windows ME 2.0 A more brilliant way to kill sales, I have never heard.
sageikosa 14y ago
Too close to a Pokemon name
- iy56 14y ago
  If someone confusing a style of software UI with a retail store is unlikely, confusing it with a Pokemon is even more unlikely.

InclinedPlane 14y ago

I think I'll wait for a more trustworthy confirmation of this rumor to get worked up about it.

54mf 14y ago

Metro is just about the only thing Microsoft has going for it these days, as far as I'm concerned. What a blunder.

andywhite37 14y ago
The marketing churn surrounding Windows 8/Windows RT/WinRT/Metro style/Windows 8 style/etc. is just confounding and embarrassing. Maybe I'm over-reacting as a somewhat-interested software developer, but this just seems like a complete fail. I agree with other commenters that the concept of "Metro" probably doesn't mean anything to the average consumer yet, so maybe this isn't a huge deal, but the concept/style/codename of "Metro" was definitely the only bright spot in the situation, so it's sad to see that term go.
r00fus 14y ago
Kinnect is a winner, too.
- 54mf 14y ago
  Indeed. When I say "just about", I'm referring to the Xbox division. Some good stuff happening there too.

Steko 14y ago

Why not submit the more substantial link from ars technica? The Loop link we have here is basically the same one liner Gruber made but 30 minutes later. {this decribes a lot of posts from The Loop}

obilgic 14y ago

Maybe changing the name of the product when it is finally released to the public is a good idea?, they basically remove the link between the early reviews and the final product. So the public might not even see the these initial bad reviews etc.

secoif 14y ago

"Windows 8-style UI"???? Did their legal team pick that name? This says so much about the state of Microsoft. This new name has a totally different persona and sends a confusing, unsexy message about Microsoft's vision for the future. It shows no competent person/team is in charge of maintaining a unified, consistent brand, but I guess we already knew that. The name "Metro" must have been an accident. Is "Windows 8-style UI" even really a name? It's more of a literal description. I don't know how you could pick something more lacklustre. The experience formerly known as "Metro" encapsulates all of the innovative, risky developments Microsoft has been making on the UI front, with mostly positive responses (at least regarding the appearance). Metro was the word for Microsoft's sex appeal. Changing the name to something so unmemorable and vanilla is like deleting the word and its definition from the dictionary. While this could have been a great opportunity to fuel the hype for the new UI with a slick new name, instead they choose to wet blanket the whole thing, making "Metro" not even really a thing anymore. Microsoft needs help, they're clearly very, very sick.

drivebyacct2 14y ago
You could have at least read the article fully before going on a diatribe about Microsoft based on what they name a style guide. Jeesh. That's what they're supposed to call it until the settle on a new name by the end of the week.
- secoif 14y ago
  Ok, the hyperbole of both articles got me. > From now on, the new terminology that Microsoft is using is "Windows 8-style UI"… and "New User Interface". The blog post carefully omitted the final, critical line in the parent article (I skipped the line myself): > As we get closer to launch and transition from industry dialog to a broad consumer dialog we will use our commercial names.
  - drivebyacct2 14y ago
    Sorry, I forgot the crap article got posted instead of the better one. http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/2/3216545/microsoft-metro-branding-memo-european-partner http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/2/3216545/microsoft-metro-bra...

cft 14y ago

It's actually a good thing for them. Generic bland names, such as "Metro", "Live", "Color", "Slide" do not work. "New iPad" is better.

MartinCron 14y ago
Have you forgotten how much everyone hated the iPad name when it was first announced? "New iPad" only sounds good because people have come to the love the iPad.
- ralfd 14y ago
  Remember when Nintendo anounced the name "Wii"? Everyone was ridiculing it and web cartoonists had a productive work day. And then everybody moved on and today it is just normal.
Zr40 14y ago
But the third-generation iPad is just called that, 'iPad'. It's only referred to by Apple as 'new iPad' in contexts where its new features are described, or to distinguish it from the previous iPad, such as in the online store.

snowwrestler 14y ago

Before it came out, the best guess for the name of an Apple phone was "iPhone." But Cisco already produced an Internet phone called iPhone. Apple called their phone iPhone anyway and told their lawyers to work out the price with Cisco. On the one hand this makes Apple look like jerks, but on the other hand there is no question who is in charge of marketing: the marketing guys. Not the lawyers. This decision by Microsoft seems in sharp contrast. Here the lawyers are telling the marketing guys what to do. And the result is laughably bad. It's too bad because "Metro" was a great brand name for a new user interface.

MartinCron 14y ago
This is making me really angry. Dropping the Metro name is just so... spineless. There are lots of great, simple, evocative brand names that happen to overlap with other totally different kinds of things. There's no more chance of people mistaking the windows 8 UI style with a German retailer than they are with a bus (the Seattle area mass transit service is called "Metro King County"). I don't want to live in a world where cowardly lawyers force every brand name to have an i- prefix, z used as a plural, or missing vowels in the middle. This is why we can't have nice things.
- notatoad 14y ago
  The headline and the linked article really seem to be setting the wrong tone for this. Metro (the store) and Microsoft are friends. Metro sells microsoft stuff, the two parties make each other a ton of money. Metro says "hey guys, can you call your stuff something else" and microsoft says "sure, no problem buddy". This is how the world should work.
  - snowwrestler 14y ago
    If they're friends, why couldn't Metro-the-store have said "cool name, we obviously like it, maybe it will help us with our store branding"? Instead they puffed up their chests and Microsoft rolled. (tin foil hat on) - I wonder if there was internal support at Microsoft for dropping the name Metro, and this trademark question simply provided the cover for it. MS has repeatedly made the decision that they want the "Windows" name to be primary for EVERYTHING--even when it makes no sense like "Windows Phone". Maybe this is just evidence of the Windows brand people winning yet another internecine war within Microsoft. Maybe a decision this bad could only be made by powerful people who think they're making a good decision.

russtrpkovski 14y ago

Apple would have kept the Metro name and settled out of court later. Its a shame that Microsoft is too risk-averse.

recoiledsnake 14y ago

Better story than the blogspam linked: http://www.zdnet.com/is-metro-now-a-banned-word-at-microsoft-7000002052/ http://www.zdnet.com/is-metro-now-a-banned-word-at-microsoft... This is actually a good move, since the Metro design philosophy was getting confused with the WinRT environment. You can make a WinRT app that's not Metro looking, and you can also make a Desktop app that's Metro (see MetroTwit http://www.metrotwit.com/wp-content/themes/MetroTwit2012/images/mtwindows8_screen.png http://www.metrotwit.com/wp-content/themes/MetroTwit2012/ima... ). So the two different app types in Windows 8 will be WinRT apps and Desktop apps. Not a big fan of the 'Windows 8 style UI' terminology though, maybe they should come up with a different name to represent the design philosophy.

isani 14y ago
I think this is a demotion for desktop apps. The phrase "Windows 8 style UI" implies that the colorful rectangle look is the style for Windows 8. The classic desktop environment, by implication, is not Windows 8 style.
- aggronn 14y ago
  The Metro look is supposed to be ported to the desktop experience (see: office 13, github for windows). Their intention is for normal desktop applications to adopt his theme. The classic desktop environment is windows 8 style. Apps that are not developed for it, certainly are not Windows 8 style.
mtgx 14y ago
WinRT can already get confused with "Windows RT". You certainly can't confuse Microsoft with a company that's good at naming things.

dhughes 14y ago

Why not just call it Urban?

10098 14y ago

But everybody is going to call it "Metro" anyway!

petercooper 14y ago

Microsoft might abandon it, but as a name for a certain visual style, I suspect "Metro" will live on. (Consider Ajax. Also a brand of cleaning products.) It's too distinctive a style to either lack a name or be tied to one product (like Windows 8).

Zenst 14y ago

Class, not the first time a company have publicly announced a product before launch, rolled with it for a year then then just before launch got pointed out there nicking somebody else's name. Metro is also a free newspaper in the UK, name of a subway system.... RIM had the same level of snafu recently as well with the whole BBX branding they went on about and then got told it was somebody elses. Microsoft could just add another M infront and call it MMetro, but whatever they call it, it's putting a mobile phone interface onto a desktop, so what do they call it on there mobile platform? ALso why did they pick Metro - what did it stand for Microsoft Enormous Tile Royalty Option(!) Meaningless Enviroment To Ride Obscurity(!) I don't know and I don't think they did either. Still at least we have more faith in them testing thre software than we do there naming, don't we.

eblade 14y ago
Could it be that newspaper and subway system that were named Metro are both operating locally so there's no brand confusion while Metro AG has worldwide operations?
- Zenst 14y ago
  More than likely, but it is understandable that nobody would want to be associated with what microsoft is pushing out as a UI. I also wonder though that it is this late stage that perhaps Metro AG is not that big of a global brand that the only confusion would be non existant. Especialy as there business appears as unrelated as any paper or tube train. Still its PR for Metro AG and given the late stage maybe some potentual pay off from Microsoft, why else leave it until now.

damian2000 14y ago

A legal challenge has never stopped them before. Also you'd imagine they could always come to some compensation agreement.

Argorak 14y ago

Just some facts for those that don't understand how Metro AG can strong-arm Microsoft into changing their brand name: Metro ows Media Markt ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Markt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Markt ) and Saturn ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_(store) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_(store) ), both of which are huge electronics stores in Europe all the way to Russia. Media Markt is the second largest electronics retailer after Best Buy _worldwide_. Both already have an agreement with Apple about store in store. The worst thing Microsoft could do is piss them off, even if they would win the trademark dispute in court. Also, it would lead to the strange situation that you could buy "Metro" (the UI) products in a "Metro" store, which could lead to actual confusion.

Gring 14y ago
Metro AG is not a brand recognized by the public. People only know the names of its retailers. I live in an area with those stores, and if you asked any random passerbys what "Metro" is, they would come up with references to public transport, not Metro AG. This is also not the first time Metro AG pressed other brands that are interacting with the public into a name change. It did the same thing with the free european commuter's newspaper "Metro", resulting in a name change in at least one country (Switzerland). http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2008/sep/22/europe2 http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2008/sep/22/europ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_International http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_International
- Argorak 14y ago
  Sorry, but thats no true. Metro does have stores called METRO which are well known and they do have electronics departments (hence the reference to being able to buy "Metro" at "Metro"). Not internationally maybe, but in Germany, everyone knows Metro as a cash and carry store as well. http://www.n-tv.de/img/67/674025/O_1000_680_680_metro.jpg http://www.n-tv.de/img/67/674025/O_1000_680_680_metro.jpg And as I said: even if Metro AGs claim is not valid, they are not one to piss off as someone who sells electronics or software.
  - 14y ago

thepumpkin1979 14y ago

Same thing happended with Windows Workflow Foundation in 2005. http://blogs.msdn.com/b/scottwoo/archive/2005/10/13/480676.aspx http://blogs.msdn.com/b/scottwoo/archive/2005/10/13/480676.a...

dutchbrit 14y ago

Seriously, "Metro"? It's a dictionary word, and they are completely in different branches. I wouldn't expect Microsoft to give up just like that..

lubos 14y ago

I call bullshit on this one. Metro is a dictionary word so it cannot be trademarked as it is. I don't believe Microsoft would give up so easily.

fijal 14y ago
So is apple, so is amazon. that's a very moot argument.
deleted 14y ago
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grabeh 14y ago
Broadly speaking, any word can be trade marked if it is distinctive/not descriptive. Apple is distinctive for computers, but not for actual apples. As a result, I couldn't get a trade mark for 'Apple' for apples, but I could (or at least Apple did) for computers etc.

manojlds 14y ago

How come this is coming up only now? Didn't WP7 release in 2010?

stupandaus 14y ago

According to the zdnet article linked by recoilednsake: Update: A spokesperson is now saying the reason for this Metro de-emphasis is not related to any litigation. (I asked if it is related to any kind of copyright dispute that hasn't yet gone to litigation and was told there would be no further comment.) The spokesperson added: “We have used Metro style as a code name during the product development cycle across many of our product lines. As we get closer to launch and transition from industry dialog to a broad consumer dialog we will use our commercial names.”

libria 14y ago
Their earlier literature makes this harder to believe: > Metro is our design language. We call it Metro because it's modern and clean. It's fast and in motion. It's about content and typography. And it's entirely authentic. At some point, trying to spin something obviously related to legal issues makes you look silly. Why not just say they respect the established brand and gain nice-guy points?

bonch 14y ago

Mary Jo Foley says a Microsoft spokesperson told her the change wasn't due to a legal challenge.