Instagram Call Out Apps Using 'Insta' and 'Gram' to Rename Within 48 Hours

Instagram has updated its brand guidelines and started sending emails to app developers using the word "insta" and "gram" on their apps to think of a different name within 48 hours, TechCrunch reports.

A trip to the Instagram "Using Instagram Brand Assets" page shows that it specifically listed on its "Dont's" under the "Naming Applications and Products" bulleted list the rule: Use “Instagram,” “IG”, “Insta” or “Gram” in your app name.

The online-photo sharing website amended its rule to ensure other app developers don't mislead people that they are endorsing or sponsoring the product.

Even logos or cameras similar to Instagram is no longer allowed. TechCrunch shared an email reportedly sent to Luxogram which is obviously using the word "gram" and has a logo similar to the red-yellow-green-blue trademark of the Instagram logo.

Here is an excerpt of the email.

We appreciate your interest in developing products that help people share with Instagram. While we encourage developers to build great apps with Instagram, we cannot allow other applications to look like they might be official Instagram applications or endorsed or sponsored by us.

As we hope you can appreciate, protection of its well-known trademarks is very important to Instagram. For example, it has always been against our guidelines to use a name that sounds or looks like “Instagram” or copies the look and feel of our application. Similarly, as we have clarified in the new guidelines, use of “INSTA” and “GRAM” for an application that works with Instagram is harmful to the Instagram brand. It is important that you develop your own distinctive branding for your applications, and use Instagram’s trademarks only as specifically authorized under our policies.

Prior to the branding update, Instagram allows app developers to use the words "insta" and "gram" as long as they are not used together.

Facebook, which had acquired Instagram, has not yet released any comment.

Aside from Luxogram, some other known apps which need to rename are Webstagram, Instadrop, Gramfeed, Statigram and Instagallery.