Patent holding companyLodsyscaused a stir recently when itdemanded moneyfrom iOS developers using in-app payments, something it holds a patent for. Now it appears that Android developers could be next in line for a stern email from the firm.
Android Communityhas spotted one developer who isclaimingto have received a request for payment in relation to integrating in-app payments into an Android app. If true, it could stir up another hornet’s nest of anger in the development community.
Applecame down on the side of developerswhen Lodsys went after the iOS community, stating that its own license from Lodsys covered third parties too. So, what about other operating systems? In a recent Q&A on its website, Lodsysstatedthat Google and Microsoft are both licensed for their own products, indicating that third-party developers for Android and Windows Phone 7 using in-app payment systems may indeed become targets.
Are you an Android developer who has been targeted by Lodsys? If so, we’d love to see the email you’ve received. We’ve contacted Google and Lodsys for their sides of the story and will let you know what we discover.
Story byMartin SFP Bryant
Martin SFP Bryant is the founder of UK startup newsletter PreSeed Now and technology and media consultancy Big Revolution. He was previously(show all)Martin SFP Bryant is the founder of UK startup newsletterPreSeed Nowand technology and media consultancyBig Revolution. He was previously Editor-in-Chief at TNW.
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