Amazon has opened the doors to its Android app store, as Apple sues its rival to block it from using a name similar to its own software shop.
Amazon’s Appstore for Android is now officially live for US users only, with 3,600 applications at launch – including a new version of Angry Birds, with editions of the game stealing the top four spots on the best-selling list.
There’s no word yet if the Appstore will extend to iOS devices or when it will arrive in the UK.
The online store lets users trial some games and apps via Flash in the browser before sending them to their phones.
Developers can set their own prices, and gives them “70% of the sale price of the app or 20% of the list price, whichever is greater.”
Despite the store targeting Google’s own Market for Android apps, Apple has sued Amazon.com to block the online retailer from using the “App Store” name for its own software shop, according to a court filing.
We’ve asked Amazon not to copy the App Store name because it will confuse and mislead customers
The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, said Amazon has improperly used Apple’s App Store mark to solicit software developers throughout the United States.
Apple has previously applied to register the App Store trademark in the United States – a bid which Microsoft opposes on the grounds that the term is too generic. The matter is currently before a trademark trial and appeals board.
“We’ve asked Amazon not to copy the App Store name because it will confuse and mislead customers,” Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said.
Amazon.com did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the name “appstore” is everywhere on the site.
According to the lawsuit, Amazon is unlawfully using the App Store trademark in connection with what Amazon calls the “Amazon Appstore Developer Portal,” along with other instances like ads for a version of Angry Birds, the popular mobile game.
Apple has also asserted a claim of unfair competition, and is seeking to enjoin Amazon from using the App Store name.
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