Shortly after the news broke that Microsoft planned to reject apps that used the word “Metro” in the title, the company removed the controversy-causing language from its Windows 8 app development guidelines. The policy used to say: “Note: Make sure your app name doesn’t include the word metro. Apps with a name that includes the word metro will fail certification and won’t be listed in the Windows Store.” However, the company has replaced that notice with a policy that reads, “Make sure to select a name for your app that belongs to you. If you use a name that doesn’t belong to you, the owner of that name could have your app removed from the store. If that happens, you would need to change the name of your app and all instances of the name throughout your app and its content before you can submit your app for certification again.”
Microsoft announced earlier this month that it would not be using the “Metro” name for the new interface in Windows 8. Many observers believe the change was caused by a threatened lawsuit from a European retailer.
