Apple Centres in Amsterdam forced to change name

Since last year the Netherlands has been infested with Apple Centres. About 18 Apple retail shops have opened with a layout similar to the Apple Stores all over the U.S. They are located mostly in the big cities, with Amsterdam and Rotterdam having three or four stores. Utrecht even has two within spitting distance of each other. Apple Netherlands has always supported the shops.
Last week all 18 Centres were notified that they have to change their names to 'Apple Premium Reseller' for legal reasons. Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it?
Speculation is running rampant that this could mean that Apple is planning to open official retail stores on the European continent. Centre owners are not pleased at the prospect of having to change all their signage, billboards and stationary and the name on the front of the shop.

In related news, a popular magazine in The Netherlands, iPodFan, got a nastygram from Apple legal stating that they have to change their name or stop publishing. The funny thing is that the publisher reportedly asked for and received permission to use the name before using it.

(Picture courtesy: IFOAppleStore.com)