A format war is the clash between two competing technologies or standards. It is a phenomenon that occurs when different organizations promote their own format to gain dominance in the market. In the tech industry, format wars have been prevalent for decades, with famous examples such as VHS vs. Betamax, HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray, and more recently, USB-C vs. Lightning port. Synonyms for the term include "standard conflict," "format battle," "technology rivalry," "technology war," and "standard warfare." Regardless of the term used, format wars can be detrimental to both businesses and consumers as they often result in wasted resources, lost profits, and confusion among users.