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[el_diablo]

http://www.macstories.net/news/lodsys-starts-filing-lawsuit-against-app-developers/

I'am wondering why this hasn't been discussed before as it started since may I guess. Even Roxio is being sued by Lodsys as of this month I believe.

Nobody is concerned about this?

[mcc]

Because being sued by patent leeches who invented nothing and contribute nothing is just part of software development. It's like being concerned about earthquakes.

At some day in the future all worthwhile software development will be done covertly and illegally

[SaturnineGames]

It's hard for us to say much on the Lodsys patent problem.

Apple and Google were aware of the patent and licensed it from Lodsys. I'm not sure, but Microsoft may have as well. Apple believes that their license covers developers on the App Store while Lodsys believes that it doesn't. I haven't heard anything from Google or Microsoft on the issue.

The disputed licenses aren't public, so it's hard for us to comment on them.

[Evan Balster]

Apple filed a duplicate patent on in-app purchases to defend app developers who use them.  (Even though it shouldn't be possible, such duplication happens all the time.)

[Zaphos]

There was a fun This American Life episode on patents the other week:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/441/when-patents-attack

There's a write up also on the planet money blog if you prefer text to audio: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/07/26/138576167/when-patents-attack

They go into depth analyzing one patent (comically given to them as the only 'positive example' an IV exec could name) which turns out to be exemplary of patent trolls.  That example doesn't directly involve lodsys, but it does involve a shell company with the exact same address and MO as lodsys ...

[Evan Balster]

It's a multibillion-dollar company that appears to make all its money from patent shakedowns ("licensing") and lawsuits.

[Ray Logan]

Patents are the death of creativity, but even the Anarchist inside of me doesn't like what that Lodsys is doing there. Unbelievable that no one puts a stop to their doings.

[Evan Balster]

I don't see why the anarchist inside you would have any agreement with what lodsys is doing: misusing a broken law.

[jotapeh]

^ What he said, not sure how that would please anarchists from any angle

Regardless it's well known at this point - patents are broken, and it may take some catastrophic fallout for anyone to bother fixing them

[Evan Balster]

Let's patent breathing.

[Nix]

Lodsys patents are the kind of patents that anyone deserves to have. Dan Abelow isn't an innovator. He was just the first person to hire a lawyer and claim to own something he doesn't.

[TomHunt]

patents are actually a scheme by socio-psychopathic renegade amish people to prevent anyone from actually developing any new technology through an admittedly rather inventive form of terrorism

[C.D Buckmaster]

My God...it all makes sense now!

Tim Langdell must be their leader!

[Evan Balster]

patents are actually a scheme by socio-psychopathic renegade amish people to prevent anyone from actually developing any new technology through an admittedly rather inventive form of terrorism

That is my favorite conspiracy theory now.  I happen to have styrofoam walls as of a week ago, so I can start gathering newspaper clippings and yarn in a timely manner.