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Apple 'actively investigating' Lodsys in-app purchase patent claim

Legal team looking into firm's hold

Apple 'actively investigating' Lodsys in-app purchase patent claim
The one rather major player who has publicly remained silent in response to Lodsys' claim over the in-app purchase is Apple.

Though the firm's position is officially unclear, the decision by Lodsys to name Apple as a registered licensee has provoked questions regarding just how much the company knew of the patent covering IAPs Lodsys claims to hold.

According to the Guardian, Apple is now in the process of "actively investigating" the matter, with the company's legal department looking into the debacle after the serving of papers by Lodsys to what's now a growing body of developers.

Going it alone?

Given the funds Apple has to hand, many of the affected studios may be looking to the platform holder to come to their rescue and defend the position of the iOS development community as a whole.

Apple aside, however, patent blog Foss Patents has served up what amounts to a guide as to what developers should do now in response to the threat of legal action by Lodsys.

Though blog author and intellectual property activist Florain Mueller doesn't advocate one, solid solution, he does suggest that developers who capitulate and agree to the firm's terms - 0.575 percent of all US IAP revenue, plus the possibility of "applicable past usage" - may exacerbate the situation further.

"Once Lodsys and others know that you paid for this patent, you're even more likely to be contacted by Lodsys and other patent holders," states Mueller.

"Third parties can find out if your deal with Lodsys is announced in any way, or they can figure if they know that you were contacted and at some point they see that you still have the in-app upgrade button but weren't sued."

With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.