Microsoft has emerged from a trademark dispute red-faced, with an order for developers writing programs for Windows 8 to no longer refer to Microsoft’s unified user interface design as “Metro” but rather simply “New User Interface”.
Hardware Canucks first learned of this change from sources early Thursday afternoon, and this order has been since confirmed in media reports.
Reportedly, Microsoft sent out a memo from its Legal and Corporate Affairs department banning the word “Metro” as that trademark is held by German retailer Metro AG.
As Windows 8 has already been released to manufacturers, it is not known at this time how the word will be expunged from the software and related documentation.
Microsoft released the following statement to the press, explaining the change:
“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.”
