Des Moines, Iowa, residents may have one less place to flaunt their iPods and musical tastes now that the downtown bar, the Lift, has been told by Apple to stop calling its popular weekly social event "iPod Monday." iPod Monday, according to the Des Moine Register, gives bar patrons the opportunity to share their musical tastes through the songs on their iPods.

Resident bartender, Clint Curtis, started iPod Monday two years ago, and claims he contacted Apple Inc. several times to see if there would be any problems with the event or name. After his inquiries went unanswered, he assumed there weren't any issues, and launched his first weekly iPod Monday.

Now, two years later, he received an email from Apple's Peter Alcorn stating that the name "iPod Monday" violates Apple trademarks, and can't be used for the Monday evening gathering, or its related podcast and Web site. In the email, Mr. Alcorn states "With respect to the podcast and associated site, iPod Monday, Apple has determined that your product name, which incorporates the word "iPod", violates Apple's trademark guidelines... Please choose a name for your product that is consistent with Apple's guidelines (that does not include iPod or any other Apple trademark or variation thereon)."

Even though Mr. Alcorn did not say that iPod Monday had to stop - only that the name had to change - Mr. Curtis decided to wrap up Monday night gathering. The last weekly get together will be Monday, February 12, which also just happens to be the event's second anniversary.