There's a TM on "There's an app for that"

Back on December 4th 2009, Apple handed in an application to get a trademark for the phrase, "There's an app for that". Apple used the tagline on numerous ads for the iPhone and App Store, and it quickly became a popular punchline for jokes, a tech version of Wendy's "Where's the beef?". The good news for the tech giant is that Apple has been granted a trademark from the U.S. Patent and Trademark office.

From coffee mugs to t-shirts the words have appeared, giving Apple's App Store and the Apple iPhone the kind of free publicity from being a pop culture phrase that would normally cost the Cupertino based company hundreds of millions of dollars in ad time. The trademark covers "Retail store services featuring computer software provided via the Internet and other computer and electronic communication networks; retail store services featuring computer software for use on handheld mobile digital electronic devices and other consumer electronics."

So the next time you feel like saying, "There's an app for that," you had better clear it with your attorney first to make sure that you are not infringing on Apple's trademark. After all, when it comes to protecting its patents and trademarks, the company has a legal team for that.

source: TUAW