I mean, if they wanted to reserve the use of this common animal name across all industries, that’d be ridiculous, but it would seem pretty reasonable to worry about confusion between a cloud notes app and a cloud blog app. Certainly easier to think about it now than if this service takes off.

These are two different products. Blogging != note taking. And it doesn't seem like there's malicious intent. You can't use a generic name and expect others not to come up with the same idea.

Blogging !== note-taking, but you could definitely make the argument that a blog post is semantically a public note.

Apple, Fox, Shell, Target...any of these generic words ring a bell?

I’m sure there was no malicious intent, and it’s very possible that these two products will coexist without any further issue.

But as evidenced in this very thread there is the potential for confusion, which is the whole point of trademarks, and the reason why I’d have an easier time incorporating “Apple Surfboards“ than I would “Apple Keyboards”.

I wasn't saying that it isn't possible. I am saying that it isn't reasonable.

I saw the headline and immediately assumed it was an app by the same Bear company. I would guess that almost every single Bear Notes user would have the same reaction.

I'm going to go start a new shoe company named Puma. Hey, it's a common animal name, no problem.