Windows Phone developers who have created third-party Facebook apps are receiving takedown notices from Microsoft, reports Windows Phone Central. The issue is trademark infringement, and Facebook has sent a letter to Microsoft detailing 41 different apps that it believes infringes on one of its various pieces of intellectual property, along with the details on those trademarks. The purpose of the letter is presumably so that Microsoft can issue takedown notices to those developers, which it reportedly has — apparently giving those developers one business day to remove their app from the store.

Although some of the apps are good-faith efforts from third-party developers to create an improved Facebook experience, many more just clutter up Windows Phone store to no good end. It's a problem for the smartphone platform, which despite a recent spate of top-tier app support still lacks many of the apps that consumers are searching for — a hole that third party developers of all stripes are only too happy to fill. As the Windows Phone app ecosystem gets more mature there are bound to be growing pains, and the tradeoffs that come these takedowns seem to be worth it for most users.

Facebook recently released a Beta version on Windows Phone that more closely matches the look and feel on other smartphones. That app and these takedown notices are both signs that the company is perhaps taking Windows Phone a little more seriously than it has in the past. We've reached out to Facebook for comment and will update when we learn more.

Update: Microsoft's comment on the matter: “Windows Phone has a well-established process for reporting content infringement complaints, here. We promptly review all reports and take the appropriate action, including removal of apps when appropriate.”