Niea Milwaukee 2009 Again

App killer?

Posted by TerranceV | Technology | Posted on August 31st, 2011

"I got home and I found a mail delivery note telling me that a package had arrived from the United States, and that they would return later".

For each patent that they offer to license, the Texan company "is seeking 0.575% of US revenue (all income is in principle generated in the US because Android and iOS app stores are both registered there) over for the period of the notice letter to the expiration of the patent (they have a duration of 20 years), plus applicable past usage", as set out in Lodsys blog.

BBC asked the company to explain briefly what their patent 7,222,078 is for. Lodsys did not reply.

"The sad result of patent trolls is that they stifle innovation by asserting patents (often of dubious quality) against companies who cannot afford to fight back or take a license, leaving those companies in many instances to shut down operations or cease providing their innovations," she added.

But Mike Lee, from Appsterdam, an organisation that brings together application developers, told the BBC that "the main thing is not to lose hope."

"The claims by Lodsys and other shell companies are intended to make you feel hopeless, so you give up quickly."

Appsterdam is providing assistance to developers who have been contacted by companies such as Lodsys.

The BBC also asked Apple and Google if the vast patent war in which they, along with other big technology players, are involved in may have been a breeding ground for companies like Lodsys.

They gave no answer.

David had been toying with the idea of starting to develop applications for iOS as, he says, they sell better than the Android ones.

Now he is not so sure. Meanwhile, the 21 days Lodsys have given him are running out.

This article first appeared on BBC Mundo

Originally Published On: www.bbc.co.uk – Original Article Here