NEW YORK — A mobile app designed to track every city block users walk has changed its name from WalkNYC to Sidewalk after New York City officials raised concerns that its branding infringed on the city’s trademark.
The renaming took effect Thursday, following a cease-and-desist letter sent in July by the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) to developer Joe Puccio. The agency argued that the app’s name could be confused with WalkNYC, the city’s established pedestrian wayfinding programme.
Nick Paolucci, a spokesperson for the New York City Law Department, said the two sides were working toward an agreement.
“We have a settlement in principle and we expect a final resolution in the coming days,” he said.
Puccio declined to discuss the proposed settlement before it is finalised. He said the new name, Sidewalk, was a natural fit for an app intended to encourage people to discover New York on foot.
The city’s WalkNYC programme provides maps and navigation information for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users at busy locations, including subway stations and areas near Citi Bike docks. Officials argued that the private app’s name, colour scheme and walking-person icon could give users the mistaken impression that it was affiliated with the city.
In its cease-and-desist letter, the DOT said the app risked confusing residents and visitors. The agency demanded that the developer stop using the WalkNYC branding, take down the website and app, and remove related promotional materials.
The app has adopted the Sidewalk name but appears to retain its walking-person icon and much of its previous visual design.
Some intellectual property lawyers believe changing the name may substantially address the city’s principal concern. Tracy Jong, a senior attorney at Evans Fox LLP, said the new name changes the product’s overall commercial impression and makes confusion less likely.
Stacy Grossman, founder of the intellectual property firm SGIP, also suggested the change could help resolve the dispute, provided the app does not otherwise imply a connection to the city. She noted that the city does not own trademark registrations for the word “Sidewalk” and that similar walking-person symbols are used by other walking apps.
The dispute has attracted support from users who rely on the app to record their walking activity and explore unfamiliar neighbourhoods. After receiving the cease-and-desist letter, Puccio added a feature inviting users to explain to the DOT why they valued the service. He said more than 1,000 people submitted responses.
Launched on Apple’s App Store in May, the app marks each New York City block a user walks on a digital map. It also provides mileage and time statistics and features a leaderboard comparing users’ progress.
Puccio has said he intends to expand the app’s tracking features to include destinations such as museums and parks.
Describing the project as “a love letter” to New York City, Puccio said it had encouraged him to visit parts of the city he had never explored. He estimated that he had walked just over one-quarter of Manhattan’s blocks.
The proposed settlement has not yet been finalised, leaving the precise terms of the agreement between the developer and the city unresolved.
