Apple limits time you can reserve app name.
Here’s an interesting article from Cult of Mac about a different type of squatting: app store squatting.
We all know how important it is to have a good domain name. The same goes for your iPhone/iPod/iPad app on iTunes. But did you know you can reserve a name for your iPhone app for ever, blocking other app creators from using it?
Well, until now.
It used to be that you could pay $99 and reserve your app name. Now you need to show that you actually intend to use it or Apple will release the name for someone else. Within 90 days of reserving the name you need to have a binary for the app. If you don’t then you have 30 more days to produce it or the name will be released.
Cult of Mac says you can still easily get around this requirement by creating a crappy, unrelated binary. It’s kind of like with domain names — what exactly qualifies as a “developed” domain name, anyway?
DomainersChoice.com says
I see nothing wrong with that. Reserving a name and later reselling it to a ipod/ipad/iphone developer, is not different from registering a domain and later trying to sell it to someone.
guilty! says
I coudnt agree with my upper neighbour more..
as a matter of fact, I own retweetapps.com , but i am not going to get “revenue over twitters back, im just going to put a apps/revieuw site on it, let them try to take it from me then, no chance… It went thesame with the iphone app store, and that’s a store/business making money! and if “tweet” is brandable, no bird would ever been allowed to sing again….lol them big corporations are getting a bit “haizy in the head” lately….Apple trying to trademark the letter I….incredible…go see a doctor! , and the last time i checked, it’s still called APPLE-pie, isnt it?
Trevor says
HI guys,
just read your comments above, i have a number of clients wanting me to reserve app names on their behalf do you no the best way of doing this because it could run into hundreds.
thanks