Rumour: Microsoft’s ‘Metro’ Name Gone In Face of Potential Lawsuit?

Ever since Microsoft showed off its Windows Phone, it’s been using the “Metro” name to describe its new tile-centric interface which now fronts the upcoming Windows 8 due for release on October 26. However, it would appear that the Metro name might be coming to a surprising and abrupt end. If unverified rumours are true, then German retailer Metro AG is threatening to sue Microsoft over the use of the name due to apparent trademark infringement.

This has lead Microsoft to issue a memo banning the use of “Metro” and instead using the new term, “Windows 8-style UI”, which just trips right off the tongue, doesn’t it? A Microsoft spokesman explained the reason for the change is just a routine switch from development name to commercial name, “We have used ‘Metro style’ as a code name during the product development cycle across many of our product lines. As we get closer to launch and transition from industry dialog to a broad consumer dialog we will use our commercial names.” Really?

Of course, one has to ask why has Metro AG waited all this time to suddenly “notice” this problem and threaten Microsoft right now? A cynic would say that Metro AG are just trademark trolls and that this is therefore simply a calculated ploy to gain leverage in order extract the most money from Microsoft by threatening them on the eve of their major operating system release. But of course, we’re not such cynics to suggest a thing like that…