MacRumors: Lodsys Offers Update on In App Purchase Patent Dispute, Claims Licensing Momentum ----- QUOTE=MacRumors Nearly a year and a half ago, patent holding firm Lodsys threatened to file suit against App Store developers making use of Apple's In App Purchase mechanism, claiming that they were infringing upon patents held by Lodsys. Apple stepped in to protect developers, ultimately filing a motion to intervene in the lawsuits being pursued by Lodsys against developers who were unwilling to license the patents in question. Earlier this year, Apple was granted limited permission to intervene in the case to the extent that it could seek to demonstrate that its existing license with Lodsys covers developers' usage of In App Purchase. ImageThere has been relatively little news on the Lodsys situation over the past six months, but Lodsys today published a blog post providing a status update. According to Lodsys, the U.S. Patent and Trademark has upheld the validity of a key claim of one of the major patents in question, stymying efforts by Google to have the patent invalidated entirely.Lodsys goes on to note that Apple is continuing to press forward with its assertions that patent rights have been exhausted via Apple's license to the patents, thereby protecting developers from Lodsys' actions. Lodsys obviously contests that assertion, and a trial on the issue is scheduled for early 2013. In a separate blog post, Lodsys notes that it has gained licensing momentum, now having reached agreements with 150 developers to license the In App Purchase patents, with over 80% of those licenses being obtained without involving litigation.Lodsys has taken on companies big and small with its effort, initially focusing primarily on smaller developers but later taking on heavyweights such as Rovio, EA, and Atari. Lodsys' plan has been to provide developers with notices of infringement, giving developers 21 days to obtain a license before filing suit. It seems that most developers have elected to simply license the patents rather than incurring the expense and time commitment necessary to fight a lawsuit, but others have not backed down and with the assistance of Apple, Google, and other larger companies have been seeking to hold out against Lodsys. Article Link: Lodsys Offers Update on In App Purchase Patent Dispute, Claims Licensing Momentum ----- End of QUOTE One of the comments in the forum:
This is what you call "patent trolling". Lawyers going after small developers who don't know their rights, and that they know can't afford to defend themselves and are likely to settle out of court.
wow, didn't knew there's a company holding IAP "rights"... new most evil company on earth? DEVs, refuse getting blackmailed... remove IAPs now (and return to reasonable pricing)
The last quote in the first post is just pathetic... So is this patent. And Why don't they just sue Apple? Apple allowed all those developers (small or big companies) to use IAPs. I don't think developers broke any agreements when signing the apple developer license.
Developers are not the ones selling anything through IAP, Apple does. Developers don't even know who purchased the content through IAP.
At least with my favorite game Asphalt 7: Heat (and A6, A5) Gameloft doesn't abuse IAPs at all! (I can't tell about other Gameloft games.) There are IAPs inside Asphalt 6 & 7 indeed but they are completely optional. Ask anyone who is through with the career mode. Nobody needs the IAPs to proceed in the game. We (some friends and I) played it for hours, days and weeks without paying for IAPs ever. So they are somehow "good" IAPs. You need to be an experienced gamer and iOS App Store expert for being able to distinguish between good and bad IAPs. Maybe you'll have to complete a game first for being sure. Devs NEVER will tell you the truth about their IAPs in the description text. (With rare exceptions, keep on reading.) They waste a LOT of time on programming and balancing IAPs but they hide the facts as good as possible. Cut-back. Have a perfect example and exemplar how "bad" IAPs should be handled by devs. Please read this forum posting completely. First read the app description of Smurfs' Village and don't forget the additional notes at the end: Smurfs' Village PopReach Incorporated The evil wizard Gargamel and his ever present cat companion, Azrael, have finally found the Smurfs’ village and have sca… TouchArcade Rating: Free Buy Now Watch Media DetailsThe evil wizard Gargamel and his ever present cat companion, Azrael, have finally found the Smurfs’ village and have scattered our lovable blue friends far and wide throughout the enchanted forest. Come along with familiar friends, like Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Jokey, Greedy and the rest of the Smurf family, as they guide you on a family fun adventure to build a new forest village for the Smurfs to call home. Based on the beloved classic Saturday morning cartoon, your adventure begins with a single mushroom home and a smurflightful plot of land. Harvest your smurfberries. Build charming huts, special mushroom houses, and beautiful bridges. And decorate your village with colorful gardens, lights, flower chairs, hammocks and more! Create a Smurf ID for a secure way to add friends, explore and rate villages, and get a chance to become a Featured Village! ------------------------ FEATURES FAMILY ADVENTURE - Build your very own Smurfs' village and create a new home for the Smurfs. PLAY WITH YOUR FAVORITE SMURFS - The entire Smurf Family is here! Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Lazy Smurf, Baby Smurf, Handy Smurf, and Jokey Smurf. HARVEST SMURFBERRIES - Use in-app purchase to speed up the growth of your crops and your blue village SMURFY MINI-GAMES – While your village is growing, play multiple mini-games like: Greedy Smurf’s Baking Game, Papa Smurf’s Potion Mixing Game, Painter Smurf’s Painting Game, Lazy Smurf's Fishin' Game and a new free Handy Smurf minigame to unlock additional bonuses. CONNECT WITH FRIENDS – Share your Smurfs Experience on Facebook and Game Center and send gifts to your friends' villages. PLAY OFFLINE - Manage your village anytime without having to connect to the internet. ------------------------ USER REVIEWS Long time love! "I’ve been playing since 2011 and I still love it all the same. Keep up the good work and thanks for listening to your community!"" -SugarRushCandi Best Game ever made yet "We have played the Smurfs' Village for years. With every update, it gets better and better." -Rooroobooboo Still Smurfing "Thoroughly enjoyable game. Relaxing, stress free. Simple, smurfy fun. I’ve been playing for years. Love it." -islanduder All ages! Three generations in my family play Smurfs' Village and LOVE it. Easy for kids, interesting for adults. To the Developers: Very Well Done!" -Turbo444 ------------------------ Smurfs’ Village is certified by the kidSAFE Seal Program. To learn more, go to www.kidsafeseal.com. Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmurfsVillage Follow us on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/PopReachIncorporated ------------------------ Information Seller:PopReach Incorporated Genre:Adventure, Family, Simulation, Kids Release:Nov 10, 2010 Updated:Apr 14, 2024 Version:2.60.0 Size:2.4 GB TouchArcade Rating: User Rating: (3) Your Rating:unrated Compatibility:HD Universal Dare to download and install Smurfs' Village. Even run it (you don't need to play it). There is a special "standard iOS" dialog window at the beginning with IAP warnings. Never seen in another iOS game. Have a look at that unique feature and delete the game immediately. Don't give it to children (despite of the warnings and iOS security measures like the IAP lock). It's the only game afaik in the iOS App Store which handles IAPs legally correctly (the very bad ones: consumables if I remember correctly). They didn't do it by their own and voluntary of course. There was a famous little Smurfberries Scandal first. lord-sam Well-Known Member Feb 25, 2009 2,482 0 0 United Kingdom #12 lord-sam, Oct 10, 2012 Is this why 'Top in-app purchases' menu is now missing from App Store? I saw Gameloft's Real Football for free, and was pleasantly surprised at the fact because there were no IAPs in sight. Until I downloaded it! Hoggy110 Well-Known Member Jan 11, 2012 2,670 0 0 Student The rainbow-fuelled nightmare of my mind https://twitter.com/Hapmatic #13 Hoggy110, Oct 10, 2012 The 'top in-app purchases still shows up in NZ iTunes, you probably didn't see it because no one had bought any in-apps yet soldat7 Well-Known Member Jul 12, 2011 754 0 16 #14 soldat7, Oct 10, 2012 Read the original post? (You must log in or sign up to post here.) Show Ignored Content Share This Page Tweet Your name or email address: Do you already have an account? No, create an account now. Yes, my password is: Forgot your password? Stay logged in
Is this why 'Top in-app purchases' menu is now missing from App Store? I saw Gameloft's Real Football for free, and was pleasantly surprised at the fact because there were no IAPs in sight. Until I downloaded it!
The 'top in-app purchases still shows up in NZ iTunes, you probably didn't see it because no one had bought any in-apps yet