London UK; Friday 12th December 2014: – Apt Projects Ltd, creators of the TCM Big App Store announce that their application to register the trademark ‘TCM Big App’ has been granted by the UK Intellectual Property Office. This is in stark contrast to Apple Inc’s application to trademark in Australia the generic and descriptive ‘App Store’ trademark which is seen by many as trying to take ownership of a common descriptive phrase like ‘grocery store’. The Federal Court of Australia recently supported the Australian Registrar of Trademarks decision to deny Apple’s trademark application and threw out Apple’s appeal that the trademark should be registered. This means that ‘app store’ has no special trademark significance in Australia.
Tony Rust, Managing Director of Apt Projects Ltd, creators of the quirky online TCM Big App Store says ‘Our registration of ‘TCM Big App’ was made specifically to protect the name of our products which all start with the name ‘TCM Big App’. We’re not trying to own the English language; we just want to protect our business and our shareholders by trade marking the name of our flagship product. A TCM Big App is a software business solution which runs on PCs and servers and is created by a TCM Big App Developer using the TCM software development kit. Our TCM BAD Boys and BAD Girls can develop sophisticated business systems in far less time using TCM than with any other programming language or SDK. Our aim is to enrol thousands of TCM Big App Developers who will go on to develop thousands of TCM Big Apps which run on PCs and Servers for all types of businesses. The Big App Developers will have space in the TCM Big App Store through which to sell their Big Apps and we’ll be doing our best to help them be successful in building their brands in store”.
“It’s a matter of common language usage to go ‘shopping online’ and to buy from an ‘online store’. Given that we are selling our ‘TCM Big Apps’ online it’s hard to see a valid objection to being able to sell them through our own online ‘TCM Big App Store’ “.
“Taking into account the fact that Apple lost on appeal to the highest court in Australia for Trademark disputes it seems to be obvious to everyone but Apple that their continued opposition to our trademark application for ‘TCM Big App Store’ is unsustainable and unwarranted and is damaging to us. We aren’t in competition with Apple, we don’t sell phone apps and our zany branding and website design is completely different from theirs – or any other”.
“We will continue to strenuously defend our right to register our TCM Big App Store trademark but the ball is in Apple’s court to drop their opposition. They are awash with tax avoidance cash but that didn’t help them in Australia, I hope that it doesn’t help them here either”.
About Apt Projects Ltd.:
Apt Projects Limited was incorporated in 1991 and their customer list includes the European Commission and the National Health Service as well as small and medium sized companies. They began work on their TCM Advanced Business Management product in 1994 and over the past year and a half have been converting it for use as a software development kit.
Apt Projects Crowdfunding
Apt Projects currently have their pitch on Venture Giant and are inviting investment from interested parties and are also doing their own crowd funding and selling shares online. The minimum investment is £500 and the shares offer a ‘double your money’ Special Dividend. Details on their website.
Their Investor Video succinctly describes their pitch http://www.tcmbigappstore.com/investor.php
About the trademark dispute with Apple Inc:
Apple has the UK and EU trademarks for ‘App Store’ and claim that the public could be confused between their App Store and the TCM Big App Store. Apt Projects say that the TCM Big App Store does not sell phone apps, it sells TCM Big Apps which are for use on PCs and Servers and which have been developed using their TCM software development kit. They also say that their zany, quirky branding is completely different from Apple’s App Store branding.
About TCM Big Apps:
TCM Big Apps are business management software solutions designed for specific types of businesses which run on PCs or server networks. They make life easier by simplifying and automating many of the clerical tasks which are a drag on productivity. TCM Big Apps are full of clever time saving and easy to use functions which remove work from the user and provide great reports. Examples would be CRM and sales force automation, or a system for a sports club or equipment hire, or tradesman type businesses - plumbers, heating engineers and the like.
About TCM Big App Store:
The TCM Big App Store is the only virtual on line 12 floor, 7 acre 700 counter department store. It has lifts and escalators and stairs to move you from floor to floor; Cookery and Sports Demonstration Areas, a pet shop with a rhinoceros and fish racing... it’s a zany marketing approach and we invite additions to the Story of the Store which records the history of this virtual building which has the address ‘Kingsbridge, Central London’.
For Media Contact:
Contact: Tony Rust
Telephone: 01427 875103
Email: customerservices@tcmbigappstore.com
Web: www.tcmbigappstore.com
http://www.tcmbigappstore.com/investor.php
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