Photo-sharing company Twitpic is to close over a trademark dispute with one of its earliest collaborators, Twitter.<\/p>\n
Twitpic, which was launched in 2008, said the social network had demanded it drop an application for a trademark.<\/p>\n
If not, the photo-sharing firm would have been denied access to data that allowed it to develop for the Twitter platform.<\/p>\n
Twitter said it was sad that the firm was shutting down, and that Twitpic could have continued to use its name.<\/p>\n
The photo-sharing firm gained a loyal following after its 2008 launch. The company built its third-party service for use on Twitter’s platform, and was developed to allow people to post and share pictures on the social network.<\/p>\n
Twitter has since added its own photo-sharing feature.<\/p>\n
“We’re sad to see Twitpic is shutting down,” Twitter said in a statement. “We encourage developers to build on top of the Twitter service, as Twitpic has done for years, and we made it clear that they could operate using the Twitpic name.<\/p>\n
“Of course, we also have to protect our brand, and that includes trademarks tied to the brand,” the company added.<\/p>\n
Twitpic founder Noah Everett said that the firm would be shutting down on 25 September, but that it would enable a feature to allow users to export photos and videos within the next few days.<\/p>\n