Ask HN: Patent infringement re "Pomodoro" aka Tomato

3 pointsby semerda12 lat temu2 comments

I received an email from Apple regarding an old app I have on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id488633128?mt=8) which infringes intellectual property rights for the word "Pomodoro". The claimant (http://pomodorotechnique.com) is referring to trade marks in various classes in the European Union they have for the word Pomodoro and related terms.

Funnily enough the word Pomodoro means Tomato in Italian and there are hundreds of apps on iTunes with that word. I guess my app must of caught their eye.. maybe. I looked at their website trademark guidelines (http://pomodorotechnique.com/the-pomodoro-technique-trademark-guidelines/) and yes I see the rules around using those words.

Yet when I search online there are literally hundreds and hundreds of sites & apps using that word. The claimant supposedly can give explicit and formal permission to use the word but they do not seem to respond to my emails :(

I have removed the app from European store where the supposed trade mark violations are and have not heard since from the claimant or apple.

Any advise on what I should do next? Cheers.

I hope no other fruit or vegetable words get trademarked :O

2 comments

swanson12 lat temu

Kind of surprised that you haven't been contacted regarding GTD as well: http://wiki.43folders.com/index.php/GTD/Copyright_Issues

semerda12 lat temu

Cheers. Looks like no word or acronym is safe. ... waits for someone to trademark the word "list" or "todo" lol..

I will be tearing that acronym down too. I'm surprised how many apps there are out there that use both GTD and Pomodoro and yet have no issues being up on the stores/online. Then there are the few exceptions like my app here.

So what's your view on the Pomodoro word?