Instagram has and continues to encourage developers to build apps that support the company’s own applications and features. However, revised guidelines have limited the amount of Instagram ‘assets’ developers can use. The new rules state that application designers will not “use ‘Instagram’, ‘IG’, ‘Insta’ or ‘Gram’ in your app name”.

Another clause restricts developers wanting to use a camera icon similar to the Instagram ‘rainbow’ logo for their application. The revised guidelines request that developers do not “modify the Camera Logos in any way, such as by changing the design or changing the colors of the Multi-Color Logo” or “use the Camera Logos, or the Instagram name or logo, in your app icon”.

Instagram is well within their legal rights to protect trademarks and copyrights, although the company was of course not the first to use the phrases 'insta' or 'gram'. However, the new rules are like to adversely affect currently popular Instagram support apps which often rely on associations with the ‘main’ brand to attract interest. Both the App and Google Play stores boast a huge range of applications adding to or expanding on features offered by the default Instagram app. On Android alone, several such applications boast millions of installations.

One company called Luxogram received an email from Infogram informing them of the new rules. As reported by Techcruch, the message stated "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."

Instagram’s parent company Facebook has been particularly active in attempts to protect their brand and names, even going as far as attempting to sue some sites and apps that used the word ‘book’ in their name. Their current ‘statement of rights and responsibilities’ reads “you will not use our copyrights or trademarks (including Facebook, the Facebook and F Logos, FB, Face, Poke, Book and Wall), or any confusingly similar marks, except as expressly permitted by our Brand Usage Guidelines or with our prior written permission.”