In-App Purchases Patent Troll Threatens iOS Developers
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Several independent iOS developers woke up to a bad surprise earlier today: Lodsys, a company specialized in technology-related patents, is threatening to sue them over the use of in-app purchases mechanisms, which are supposedly covered by patents owned by the company. Interestingly enough, the company is going after iOS developers, instead of going after Apple, which included the mechanisms at the heart of iOS in the first place, and requires developers to use them, for all purchases made via their apps.
The info comes from the folks over at MacStories, who noticed that the news was making the rounds among iOS developers. For instance, James Thomson, the developer behind DragThing, received an interesting letter in the mail earlier today, asking him to pay a fee to use in-app purchases mechanisms, covered by the alleged patent – if he chooses not to pay, Thomson might face further legal actions.
Why going after iOS devs, instead of Apple? After all, the in-app purchases mechanism is built and promoted by the Cupertino-based company, not iOS developers. The fact that Lodsys is going after iOS developers instead of Apple is odd, and leads us to believe that its claim of patent infringement might not hold up in court, especially against Apple’s legal department. Independent developers who do not have a slew of lawyers to defend them seem to be much easier prays, in order to make a quick buck on a potentially bogus patent.
It’s difficult to believe that Apple’s legal department will not eventually get involved: after all, if iOS devs start to pony up to be able to legally use in-app purchases mechanisms, it would simply mean the end of it. Stay tuned for more details as the story unfolds.
