[Updated, Nov. 2, 5:55pm EST: Jon Mitchell over at ReadWriteWeb informed me Amazon issued a press release for its new ‘Amazon Flow’, shortly after my story went online — which clears up any rumors about the product. Flow is not Amazon’s answer to the iCloud. According to the press release:
Flow is a new augmented reality app that makes it easy to explore and discover tens of millions of products in a real world setting – from books and DVDs to packaged electronics and toys – and offers shoppers interactive product information about the items around them.
With Flow, customers simply point their iPhone toward a book, video game, CD, DVD or millions of other products with UPC barcodes. Upon visual recognition of the product, the app displays Amazon.com product information, including the option to play multimedia content and read customer reviews.
More details here.]
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Amazon has now followed up its ‘Amazon Flow’ private domain registrations that I reported last week with a very public trademark filing (Serial Number: 85459329) over at the United States Patent and Trademark Office on October 28, 2011, signalling the company’s intent to reveal a new product.
On October 26, Amazon registered several new domain names through the internet brand protection company MarkMonitor, that centered around the word ‘flow’ including: amazonflowapp.com, flowappbyamazon.com, flowbyamazon.com, and flowpoweredbyamazon.com.
As I reported in my earlier story, after a little domain sleuthing, I discovered that Amazon registered the domain name Amazonflow.com back in early June.
So what is Amazon Flow?
At the time of this story, all of the domain names either remain parked at Go Daddy or do not resolve to a web page, and Amazon has not put out an official announcement.
However, the ‘Goods and Services’ covered in the trademark filing offer many clues.
Here’s a more detailed look at the application.
International Class: 009
Class Status: Active
computer software for searching, locating, compiling, indexing, correlating, navigating, obtaining, downloading, receiving, encoding, decoding, playing, storing and organizing text, data, images, graphics, audio and video on a global computer network
Basis: 1(b)
First Use Date: (DATE NOT AVAILABLE)
First Use in Commerce Date: (DATE NOT AVAILABLE)
International Class: 035
Class Status: Active
advertising services
Basis: 1(b)
First Use Date: (DATE NOT AVAILABLE)
First Use in Commerce Date: (DATE NOT AVAILABLE)
International Class: 038
Class Status: Active
electronic transmission of text, data, images, graphics, audio and video from mobile electronic communications devices, all via a global computer network; downloadable application software for mobile electronic communications devices; downloadable application software for visual recognition of items or products and for providing information about any visually recognizable item or product
Basis: 1(b)
First Use Date: (DATE NOT AVAILABLE)
First Use in Commerce Date: (DATE NOT AVAILABLE)
International Class: 041
Class Status: Active
providing information about audio, visual and multimedia entertainment services via a global computer network
Basis: 1(b)
First Use Date: (DATE NOT AVAILABLE)
First Use in Commerce Date: (DATE NOT AVAILABLE)
International Class: 042
Class Status: Active
providing an online network that enables users to access and share content, text, data, images, graphics, audio, video, resources and web sites on consumer products, reviews and ratings; computer services, namely, providing search engines for searching, locating, compiling, indexing, correlating, navigating, organizing and obtaining content, text, data, images, graphics, audio, video, resources and web sites on a global computer network, and for purchasing products via a global computer network; providing temporary use of non-downloadable software for searching, locating, compiling, indexing, correlating, navigating, organizing and obtaining content, text, data, images, graphics, audio, video, resources and web sites on a global computer network; computer services, namely, enabling access to social networking services; computer services, namely, enabling access to social networking services related to consumer products, reviews and ratings
Basis: 1(b)
First Use Date: (DATE NOT AVAILABLE)
First Use in Commerce Date: (DATE NOT AVAILABLE)
Discussion: ReadWriteWeb and The Next Web