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Apple will defend developers against 'patent troll' Lodsys

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 11 Jun 2011 11:33 User comments (1)

Apple will defend developers against 'patent troll' Lodsys

Apple has stepped up to the plate and will put some of its $60 billion in cash to work defending app developers being attacked by "patent troll" company Lodsys.
In May, Lodsys began sending letters to app developers demanding a 0.575 percent cut of all revenue, due to the fact that they own a patent relating to in-app purchases.

Apple has now filed a motion to intervene on behalf of the developers, which may have not had the resources for a court battle. Apple has also filed a counterclaim against Lodsys, saying itself and all developers can use the tech.

Reads the filing:

Apple has an interest in property that is at the center of this dispute, namely, its license to the patents in suit and its business with the developers, which depends on their use of products and services that Apple is expressly licensed under the patents in suit to offer them.



Both Lodsys's complaint and its threats to other Apple developers adversely affect the value of Apple's license and its business with the developers.


Lodsys purchased the patent, which was originally created in 1992, from Intellectual Ventures, another "patent troll" which reportedly has over 30,000 patents.

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1 user comment

112.6.2011 11:56

Now the "some for nothings" want to fight over representation of peoples hard work so they can make money for having done... nothing. But once they've spent untold millions bitching, scrapping, biting, fighting & the top dog stands alone; that individual then makes you (the developers here) give them your money... which is going to be even more now, because they lost a lot due to the legal battles... and for what per se?

WTF!!! I know I'm being simplistic here so I don't want to hear too much whining, but this really smacks of extortion, on both sides.

My point is... sure use your billions, your just going to pass the screwing on to your consumers later on down the line anyway.

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