Apple spanks adult "app store" MiKandi with a cease-and-desist

This appears to be Apple's month to legally pursue anyone using the term "app store" to describe a virtual marketplace that sells ... apps. Amazon was the most visible target to receive the wrath of the Cupertino lawyers when it was the recipient of a complaint from Apple about using the trademarked term "App Store" in its new Amazon Appstore.

Now Apple has aimed a bit lower, hitting Seattle-based MiKandi.com with a cease-and-desist order. Until this month, the site billed itself as "the world's first adult app store." After being pinged by Apple's lawyers, the site is now described as "the world's first adult app market."

That's not much of a change, but hopefully enough to keep Apple appeased until all is sorted out. Microsoft and Apple have also been tussling over Apple's claim to the trademarked term "app store," which the company applied for in 2008.

MiKandi is a rather small player in comparison to Amazon and Microsoft, selling adult apps that are turned down by the Apple and Android app markets. The controversial iBoobs app, for example, was banned by both Apple and Google, but is now available from MiKandi.

Apple is doing what it should to stake its claim to the trademark for "app store" by aggressively pursuing anyone who uses the term publicly. For MiKandi, an innocent use of the term has turned into a publicity gold mine. GeekWire has a full interview with MiKandi founders Jen McEwen and Jesse Adams discussing the Apple C&D and their plans for the adult app playground.

[via Gizmodo]