I own the app called 'Cuff' on the app store. Cuff is a popular 1 on 1 video chatting app, and it has many competitors. One of the competitors is a Chinese owned app called 'Monkey'.<p>They don't like how I rank for the search term 'Monkey', and demand a monopoly on the search results for the term.<p>I don't have the term in my keywords or anywhere in my app meta-data. But my app still ranks for the keyword. It ranks for a lot of keywords I don't have directly in my meta-data. I guess because of its overall popularity?<p>Anyways, they are saying I am infringing on their trademark, and I have no clue what action to take. Apple says they can remove my app if I don't act, but there's literally no action to take.<p>Do I have legal grounds here? I am thinking if Apple removes my app, I can take them to small claims court to try to make a case for reinstatement, since I am a one-man shop for the app.<p>It really sucks this is happening. I hate how some random Chinese shadow tech company can make Apple do their bidding in the US, so that American individuals/companies can't fight back. Since they are in China, I don't even know how I can take action against them for bogus trademark claims.<p>The only action I can think of is to take against Apple.
This kind of thread invariably suggests to me there might be more to the story. I went to the homepage for the app.
<a href="https://cuff.live/" rel="nofollow">https://cuff.live/</a><p>I clicked on the Twitter link and Twitter shows the account suspended. <a href="https://twitter.com/cuffdating" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/cuffdating</a> It's not that it makes the story here false. But getting banned by Twitter seems to take some deliberate efforts.<p>Also there's the similarly named "cuffing" It has been on the app store since 2015 and appears to have similar functions. <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cuffing-online-dating-app/id1006329481#?platform=iphone" rel="nofollow">https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cuffing-online-dating-app/id10...</a><p>Oh hell, I didn't even need to go to that much trouble. The OP had a similar post months ago and got advice from HN.
>> I hate how some random Chinese shadow tech company can make Apple do their bidding in the US, so that American individuals/companies can't fight back.<p>Hope you get it solved but this attitude just isn't going to help you.
Get real legal advice then consider appropriate action. Time is not your friend. Depending on Apple's whims you could actually lose app store access as they stumble and fall over themselves to be as slow to respond as possible. It is very likely you won't get any sensible answers from Apple regarding any of this. Or any answer at all.<p>If you can take them to small claims court, do so. But for all you know you might not even be able to take them to that court.<p>Find out for sure. ASAP.
Was all communication by/through Apple? Which means Apple blames you for their own algorithm?<p>Maybe if you respond tersely and factually there there is now no infringing material, it triggers a manual review that should have happened in the first place.
What part of their Developer Agreement where it says NOT to go running to the press, did you fail to understand?<p>Regardless of the original issue, what are your long term prospects as a going concern in their store after doing just that?<p>Strange times we live in.