Apple App Store downloads cross 15 billion mark

The California gadget-maker also said the App Store now carries more than 425,000 free and paid applications for the 200 million iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches in use worldwide.

Over 100,000 applications have been developed for the iPad alone, it said.

"In just three years, the revolutionary App Store has grown to become the most exciting and successful software marketplace the world has ever seen," Apple senior vice president Philip Schiller said in a statement.

Apple said it has paid applications developers over $2.5 billion to date.

Apple, which launched its App Store in July 2008, is currently embroiled in a dispute with online retail giant Amazon over the phrase "app store."

Amazon offers programs for smartphones and tablet computers powered by Google's Android operating system in its "Amazon Appstore for Android" and Apple is seeking to bar the company from calling it an "app store."

A federal judge on Wednesday denied Apple's request to immediately stop Amazon from using the phrase.

"The evidence does show that Apple has spent a great deal of money on advertising and publicity, and has sold/provided/furnished a large number of apps from its App Store," US District Court Judge Phyllis Hamilton said.

"However, there is also evidence that the term 'app store' is used by other companies as a descriptive term for a place to obtain software applications for mobile devices."

Hamilton denied a request by Apple for a preliminary injunction that would have barred Amazon from referring to its software shop as an "app store" pending the outcome of a suit filed by Apple.

(c) 2011 AFP