iOS apps with in-app purchasing not being approved by Apple
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."
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."
Comments
If this is actually in response to the patent infringement claims rather than some other issue, I'm pretty damned surprised.
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.
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.
Approve the Apps and let the developers work it out.
Its not Apples job to play patent judge.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
http://thenextweb.com/apple/2011/05/...gement-claims/
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.
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.