June 2, 2011 - Patent holder Lodsys, LLC filed suit against seven developers who create apps for Apple's iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices.
Apple holds licenses under the two patents Lodsys alleges are infringed. In a letter to Lodsys on May 23, Apple's general counsel Bruce Sewell claimed that the licenses also extend coverage to developers and requested that Lodsys “immediately withdraw all notice letters” to third party developers. Lodsys, however, disagreed that Apple's licensed rights can be used by its app makers and filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Marshall, Texas on May 31.
The seven companies named in the suit are Combay Inc., maker of Mega Poker Online Texas Holdem; Shovelmate, developer of 69 Positions; Illusion Labs, which makes Labyrinth for both the iPhone and Google's Android OS; Quickoffice Inc., maker of Quickoffice Connect; Richard Shinderman, who made Hearts and Daggers; Wulven Game Studios, maker of Shadow Era; and Iconfactory, which makes Twitterific.
Like Apple, Google was also not named in the complaint.