An Australian-based start-up health company, HealthKit, has accused tech giant Apple of stealing its name for the newly announced health-targeted app, which was introduced at the recent Worldwide Developer Conference.
Apple unveiled its new HealthKit interface, which will be included in the new iOS 8 operating system, to the gathering of developers this week and it was met with a great reception. Apple’s HealthKit app hub includes a suite of new tools that enables developers to integrate health data into new apps as well as connect people to appropriate medical practitioners. It has since been widely touted as a way to revolutionize healthcare.
But according to a Melbourne start-up of the same name, not only did the HealthKit name already exist before Apple’s announcement, so too did its services. “It is very flattering that they like our name, but I’m a little let down because how hard would it have been to spend five seconds to put HealthKit.com into their browser and find us?” Alison Hardacre, co-founder and managing director of HealthKit told told Wired.
According to Wired, both the HealthKit website and Twitter handle have belonged to the Melbourne start-up since 2012. Hardacre’s company already offer the same services Apple are promising, namely the ability to track an manage your health in one place, while also connecting you with appropriate practitioners for all your medical needs.
“Everybody worries that Google or Apple will come into their space and their business will die, but no one thinks that company will come into that space and use the same name,” she continued. Prior to its Monday launch, Apple’s health platform had been referred to as HealthBook, only to be changed at the last minute.
In a video posted to YouTube, Hardacre said that Apple still hadn’t contacted her about the dispute. She said her startup had just begun expanding overseas and Apple’s announcement has now put their future in jeopardy. It is still unclear whether this is simply an oversight or a deliberate choice on Apple’s part and the company have yet to comment.
