iOS apps with in-app purchasing not being approved by Apple

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Following a series of legal threats by patent holder Lodsys, Apple has temporarily suspended approval of at least some iOS applications that utilize the in-app purchasing feature [updated].



Update: Though in-app purchases were problematic for some developers for a week now, the issues in the system have reportedly been addressed, suggesting that any holdup was not related to the patent infringement suit.



News that App Store approvals from Apple were frozen was reported Wednesday by TUAW. It's was not known whether the suspension was related to legal threats that were recently sent by Lodsys to a number of iOS developers, or if it is a separate technical issue.



"As a matter of policy, Apple requires developers to test in-app purchases (IAP) with a test user account before the application in question can be approved," Victor Agreda, Jr., wrote. "Unfortunately, this test account has been offline for a week now with no word as to why."



The downtime associated with the App Store led to speculation that Apple suspended approval of new and updated applications that utilize in-app purchases. Apple has yet to respond to the legal threats toward iOS developers by patent holder Lodsys, but a report from earlier this week claimed that the iPhone maker's legal department is "actively investigating" the matter.



Last week, iOS developers first began receiving letters from Lodsys, accusing them of patent infringement for utilizing Apple's own in-app purchasing system for iOS software. Apple controls all transactions made through the App Store and native software for the iPhone and iPad, and takes a 30 percent cut.







In public comments on the situation, Lodsys revealed that Apple has obtained a license related to in-app purchases. But Lodsys believes that Apple's agreement does not extend to individual developers that create software for iOS devices.



Lodsys seeks 0.575 percent of U.S. revenue covering the period of the notice letter to the expiration of the patent, plus applicable usage. The company noted that would amount to $5,750 per year for an application that makes $1 million in annual sales.



No lawsuit has been filed, though developers were given 21 days by Lodsys to license the technology related to in-app purchases. The legal threats cite U.S. Patent No. 7222078, entitled "Methods and Systems for Gathering Information from Units of a Commodity Across a Network."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 22
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Wow. . .



    If this is actually in response to the patent infringement claims rather than some other issue, I'm pretty damned surprised.
  • Reply 2 of 22
    I have had trouble in the past with getting test accounts activated. There's actually a ticket opened up regarding this issue. It may simply be that iTunes Connect continues to suck.



  • Reply 3 of 22
    Huh. If there is a correlation, I'm surprised. I would have expected Apple to issue some kind of statement to the effect of, "Hold off for a few days while we investigate..." vs. simply turning off the ability to submit/test.



    That said, if Lodsys is, in fact, found to be trolling, Thor's hammer will soon fall upon their head. And, it ain't gonna be pretty.
  • Reply 4 of 22
    this isnt just a Test Account issue I get the same error when I go to create a "Itunes connect" user... and then also one of my apps that does not have a in-app purchase has been "In Review" for quiet a while...
  • Reply 5 of 22
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Wow. . .



    If this is actually in response to the patent infringement claims rather than some other issue, I'm pretty damned surprised.



    Actually it could be connected. They could be holding on approvals for apps that could be hit with suits to avoid making matters worse (in effect protecting the developers). Once they know the score from their lawyers about the validity of the claims then they can hit the switch on these apps which probably passed everything else.



    Or it could be that whatever was making MobileMe and itunes wonky over the weekend is the issue and it hasn't been cleared up completely.
  • Reply 6 of 22
    iceydeeiceydee Posts: 1member
    My IAP-test accounts work as expected, maybe they're just not currently accepting any new test-accounts?
  • Reply 7 of 22
    patranuspatranus Posts: 366member
    What does this have to do with Apple?

    Approve the Apps and let the developers work it out.



    Its not Apples job to play patent judge.
  • Reply 8 of 22
    rothgarrrothgarr Posts: 58member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Patranus View Post


    What does this have to do with Apple?

    Approve the Apps and let the developers work it out.



    Its not Apples job to play patent judge.



    A large number of popular apps use in-app purchases and Apple gets 30% of those in-app purchases. It's in Apple's best interests to help out developers and also to know the legal ramifications moving forward.
  • Reply 9 of 22
    pxtpxt Posts: 683member
    The only thing that LeachSys do is destroy value.



    Can you imagine going home and sitting with your family knowing the only thing you did all day was threaten decent hard-working people with meritless lawsuits in the hope they'll be too poor to fight back.
  • Reply 10 of 22
    object-xobject-x Posts: 42member
    Just tested our In-App purchase test account. Everything working fine. I smell FUD.
  • Reply 11 of 22
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,015member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PXT View Post


    The only thing that LeachSys do is destroy value.



    Can you imagine going home and sitting with your family knowing the only thing you did all day was threaten decent hard-working people with meritless lawsuits in the hope they'll be too poor to fight back.



    I know nothing about them. Since Apple licenses their tech, don't you think there might be something there? Secondly, they are not suing. They are asking for licensing fees, fees that Apple already pays for its own apps, apparently.



    As for "meritless" lawsuits, I don't know how you're defining that. You're probably talking about every lawsuit of which you disapprove. My brother just graduated with a law degree with the focus of intellectual property and is a former US Patent examiner. I can tell you that there are MANY lawsuits filed re: patent disputes that have merit. There are also many that are bogus. It sounds like what you object to (I'm just guessing from what you wrote) are companies that make money by just holding patents. I guess I get that, but it's not the immoral thing you make it out to be.
  • Reply 12 of 22
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by charlituna View Post


    Actually it could be connected. They could be holding on approvals for apps that could be hit with suits to avoid making matters worse (in effect protecting the developers).



    More likely protecting Apple's own butt from a possible complaint that it is aiding patent infringement.
  • Reply 13 of 22
    morkymorky Posts: 200member
    Did anyone else attempt to read that patent? It looks focused on a system (or a proposed idea for a system) that manages customer feedback on products. It looks more like speculation (in 1994) on future information technology trends than any kind of specific implementation of a technology. It's broad and generalized. I predict it gets tossed.
  • Reply 14 of 22
    nofeernofeer Posts: 2,427member
    what about a work around

    apple figures out a way to start in the app then go to an apple server, another use of the data center.

    SJ won't be held hostage
  • Reply 15 of 22
    johnqhjohnqh Posts: 242member
    Too much speculation...



    So I would speculate too. Apple updated iTunes Connect for developers a few days ago, and certain pages related to IAP have bugs. It is a combination of inconsistent data and bugs.



    Simple as that.
  • Reply 16 of 22
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,857member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SDW2001 View Post


    I know nothing about them. Since Apple licenses their tech, don't you think there might be something there? Secondly, they are not suing. They are asking for licensing fees, fees that Apple already pays for its own apps, apparently.



    As for "meritless" lawsuits, I don't know how you're defining that. You're probably talking about every lawsuit of which you disapprove. My brother just graduated with a law degree with the focus of intellectual property and is a former US Patent examiner. I can tell you that there are MANY lawsuits filed re: patent disputes that have merit. There are also many that are bogus. It sounds like what you object to (I'm just guessing from what you wrote) are companies that make money by just holding patents. I guess I get that, but it's not the immoral thing you make it out to be.



    I think you are confusing legality and morality. It's not illegal, but I would certainly argue that it's unethical (or immoral, if you like) to file and/or buy up vaguely worded patents not with the intention of using them directly, but solely to sit back and wait for someone to implement something that could possibly fall under the vague wording, see if they make any money and then demand licensing fees and/or sue.
  • Reply 17 of 22
    neilwneilw Posts: 77member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SDW2001 View Post


    I know nothing about them. Since Apple licenses their tech, don't you think there might be something there? Secondly, they are not suing. They are asking for licensing fees, fees that Apple already pays for its own apps, apparently.



    1) As Nilay Patel has reported, Apple has a blanket license for everything in Intellectual Ventures' portfolio, so it is likely that Apple's license of the Lodsys patents comes from there, rather than an independently negotiated agreement. So it is quite possible that the fact that "Apple licenses their tech", while technically true, hasn't the slightest bearing on whether there's any merit.



    2) Of course they're not suing. Why would they waste their time and money suing small independents to recover less than the cost of the litigation? They're taking the much more cost-effective strategy here: a classic shake-down. It only costs a letter or two and an obnoxious blog post. And, as mentioned above, it's quite possible (likely) that Apple is in fact not paying them any licensing fees.
  • Reply 18 of 22
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    And right on the heels of Lodsys's efforts comes this patent infringement claim from Macrosolve seeking "monies owed from any developer whose apps ?collect data for questionnaires and puts them online?. This one goes after both iOS and Android developers.



    http://thenextweb.com/apple/2011/05/...gement-claims/
  • Reply 19 of 22
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Morky View Post


    Did anyone else attempt to read that patent? It looks focused on a system (or a proposed idea for a system) that manages customer feedback on products. It looks more like speculation (in 1994) on future information technology trends than any kind of specific implementation of a technology. It's broad and generalized. I predict it gets tossed.



    It only has a chance of being tossed if the entity being sued has the financial resources to fight it. Small developers, don't usually fall into that category.
  • Reply 20 of 22
    felipurfelipur Posts: 42member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Patranus View Post


    What does this have to do with Apple?

    Approve the Apps and let the developers work it out.



    Its not Apples job to play patent judge.



    Considering that Apple now requires that apps that sell via websites or other methods also provide in-app purchasing, it is very much their job to deal with this patent claim.



    Requiring that developers use something that then requires licensing from a 3rd party would make commerce on IOS a non-starter. Apple very much wants the platform to be a (probably the only) leading ecommerce platform. So they are going to have to step in and resolve this either by challenging it, indemnifying the developers, claiming their license already covers the developers (if they really have licensed it) or possibly sublicensing it, again if they really have a license.



    Having read the patent I have no idea how Lodsys reached the conclusion that in-app purchasing or app upgrades are even remotely related to the area covered by the patent. So my guess is that Apple will put out a press release that it doesn't apply and then file for a judgement to that effect.
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