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Comment by Argorak | Hacker News Reader

Just some facts for those that don't understand how Metro AG can strong-arm Microsoft into changing their brand name: Metro ows Media Markt ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Markt ) and Saturn ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_(store) ), both of which are huge electronics stores in Europe all the way to Russia. Media Markt is the second largest electronics retailer after Best Buy _worldwide_. Both already have an agreement with Apple about store in store. The worst thing Microsoft could do is piss them off, even if they would win the trademark dispute in court.

Also, it would lead to the strange situation that you could buy "Metro" (the UI) products in a "Metro" store, which could lead to actual confusion.

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Metro AG is not a brand recognized by the public. People only know the names of its retailers. I live in an area with those stores, and if you asked any random passerbys what "Metro" is, they would come up with references to public transport, not Metro AG.

This is also not the first time Metro AG pressed other brands that are interacting with the public into a name change. It did the same thing with the free european commuter's newspaper "Metro", resulting in a name change in at least one country (Switzerland). http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2008/sep/22/europ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_International

Sorry, but thats no true. Metro does have stores called METRO which are well known and they do have electronics departments (hence the reference to being able to buy "Metro" at "Metro"). Not internationally maybe, but in Germany, everyone knows Metro as a cash and carry store as well.

http://www.n-tv.de/img/67/674025/O_1000_680_680_metro.jpg

And as I said: even if Metro AGs claim is not valid, they are not one to piss off as someone who sells electronics or software.

Interesting. So close and I've never heard of them.

But it's a wholesale retailer, e.g. it's targeted towards registered professional customers rather than end consumers. My point still stands, the large majority of the public does not interact with them.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Cash_and_Carry

Close to a Metro store, having access to a Metro card is like having a driving license: most people have it or they don't want it. I would say that most of the customers there are not "professionals". I live close to one and use it as a supermarket. Also, Microsoft does also sell to professional customers, so it is still a conflict of interest.

And, my point also stands: I don't care whether Metros claim is valid or not. They are a major distribution partner and Microsoft is depending on them. This is why they can strong-arm Microsoft rather than having to go to court. I don't care the slightest about the "normal people"-argument, because it doesn't matter.

As I cannot edit my post anymore:

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/08/micros...

links to the brand registration:

http://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/marke/register/39516389...

Its rather long and includes:

"Datenverarbeitungsgeräte und Computer, mit Programmen versehene maschinenlesbare Datenträger, Datenverarbeitungsprogramme"

"Datenverarbeitungsprogramme" is basically any program handling Data.

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