After Apple relaxed its App Store guidelines to allow game emulators, Delta, a retro game emulator developed over 10 years, quickly topped the download charts. However, this attention also brought the threat of legal action, as Adobe accused Delta of having a logo too similar to its own.
Delta was created by Riley Testut, who began by experimenting with loading games onto graphing calculators before turning his attention to iOS. The app evolved from his earlier project, GBA4iOS, which allowed emulated games to run on iPhones without jailbreaking. GBA4iOS was extremely popular until Apple shut it down.
With regulatory pressure to open the App Store to more competition, Apple began allowing game emulators in April, creating new opportunities for developers. Testut seized this chance to launch Delta, which quickly became the number one app in the App Store, maintaining a top position for weeks with millions of downloads. Currently, Delta ranks 33rd in the U.S. App Store, while another emulator, PPSSPP, holds the fifth spot.
However, Delta’s success attracted Adobe’s attention, leading to threats of legal action over the logo similarity. In a Mastodon post, Testut explained that Adobe considered the logos too alike and demanded a change. Adobe’s logo is red and white with a stylized “A,” while Delta’s is purple and white with a triangle representing the Greek letter delta. Despite significant differences and operating in different markets, Adobe insisted on the infringement.
Adobe sent an email to Delta on May 7, alleging that their icon infringed Adobe’s trademark and requesting a change to avoid legal violations. Subsequently, Delta received another email from Apple stating that Adobe had requested Delta’s removal from the App Store. To avoid legal complications, Delta redesigned its logo, although the new design was not as well-received as the original.
Delta launched a new logo that looks like a broken triangle.
Testut mentioned that the new logo is temporary and that they plan to update it again with the release of Delta 1.6. “We plan to update the icon to a ‘final’ version, also designed by Caroline Moore, soon,” said Testut, adding that they are not overly concerned about the branding impact.
In summary, while Delta has achieved great success in the App Store, it has also faced significant legal challenges, forcing them to change their logo to avoid issues with Adobe.
By: Nestor Castillo, ForAllTechNews Director