Apple Defends App Makers Against Lodsys

A mere few days after the EFF called upon Apple to Indemnify developers against alleged infringement of Lodsys patents on in-app purchases, Apple has sent Lodsys a letter defending developers. Apple argues that it has a license to the Lodsys patents that extends to individual developers making the Lodsys claims invalid. Hopefully the baring of legal teeth will put this matter to rest.

In-App purchases

[mms3k]

So, Apple developers are protected. It also looks like Google and Microsoft have licensed the patents for Android and Windows Phone 7. Technically the in-app purchases also work the same way - via Apple/Google/Microsoft services.

The big question here is, what about Android mods like CyanogenMod and non-official stores? Android is the only mobile platform of those that offer it. If you aren't using the official channels for your application and have in-app purchases, will you be liable for patent infringement? I have a ladyboy friend who is really interested in mobile development, but this might again be a hit against Android's openness and make her rethink about the situation. Sure, you are protected if you use the official Google channels to do it, but the point of Android is to be open and let both users and developers do it their own way if they want to. I am sure that if you implement the in-app purchases in your independent way, and distribute your application yourself, you also need to get the patent. But what about the third party stores?

Kudos

[softWare3ngineer]

Kudos to Apple for standing up to a group of people who are responsible for a large part of the success that the iPhone has achieved. I'll admit i didn't think apple had it in them. can you imagine the iphone without apps, it would be terrible.

Re:In-App purchases

[Nadaka]

NO!

They should be allowed to profit from technology they INVENTED and then patented provided it is not obvious and there is no prior art. This patent is BULLSHIT that fails on both those grounds.

Re:In-App purchases

[hedwards]

I'd put an additional qualifier, that they didn't drag the process out so that the technology would be embedded in society before the patent was granted. It shouldn't take more than a few years under normal circumstances for a patent to be granted once the application starts.