iOS app makers targeted in patent spat
In Computer LogicX's case, the U.S. patent is No.7,222,078, which Macrumors discovered is owned by holding firm Lodsys. That patent, titled "methods and systems for gathering information from units of a commodity across a network," was acquired by the firm in 2004, and deals with the set up and completion of a transaction.A snippet from the patent attempts to sum up what the invention is about:"Simply put, this invention helps vendors and customers by transforming their learning cycle: It compresses the time and steps between setting business objectives, creating effective products and services, and improving them continuously. It also alters their roles: Customers become partners in the improvement process along with vendors and distributors."Rob Gloess of Computer LogicX weighed in on the matter in an e-mail to Macrumors, saying the patent holder was taking aim specifically at an upgrade mechanism that involves in-app purchasing. Users hit a button in a free, "lite" version of a Computer LogicX app to download and pay for the premium version."Our app, Mix and Mash, has the common model of a limited, free, lite version and a full version that contains all the features," Gloess told the site. "We were told that the button that users click on to upgrade the app, or rather link to the full version on the app store, was in breach of U.S. patent No. 7222078. We couldn't believe it, the upgrade button!?!"Lodsys did not immediately respond to a request for comment as to whether it is cautioning other developers on the use of the technology. And it's not clear why, exactly, the firm chose to single out Computer LogicX (and perhaps Thomson). Thomson hasn't officially named the party who sent him the cease and desist letter, but he hinted it might be Lodsys. The developer says he's waiting to hear back from Apple on the matter before making the information public. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the situation.Apple introduced in-app purchasing in early 2009, and later that year enabled the feature to work inside of free applications. The feature was designed to add more flexibility to app upgrades, as well as simplify the process of publishing two versions: a free and a paid, into a single free version that could be easily upgraded with additional functionality. Developers can design the button or the user interface to enable the upgrade in any manner they see fit, though a pop-up notification that describes what you're purchasing, and an account-confirmation mechanism that allows you to actually make the purchase with your iTunes account, are a part of iOS itself, making it unclear why these infringement claims are not being aimed at Apple, which makes the OS and maintains the payment system. This is not the first patent-infringement pressure Lodsys has applied. Earlier this year, the firm took aim at a number of tech companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Lexmark International, Novell, and Canon U.S.A., over a patent pertaining to printer software.
Apple iTunes Radio available September 18 with iOS 7
Apple iTunes Radio available September 18 with iOS 7
Apple's radio service, iTunes Radio, will be part of the company's newest operating system for its mobile devices on September 18.Related stories:Apple launches iPhone 5S and $99 iPhone 5C with five colorsiPhone 5C First TakeiPhone 5S First TakeApple's new announcements (pictures)Apple to release iOS 7 on Sept. 18Wall Street shrugs as Apple can no longer keep a secretThe computer maker made the official announcement at an event at its Cupertino, Calif., home base Tuesday. Headlining the same presentation was its introduction of a new budget smartphone, the iPhone 5C, and its new flagship iPhone 5S, as it seeks to attract more customers and revitalize interest in its devices. iTunes Radio, the long-awaited online radio service from Apple, was unveiled in June at Apple's WWDC presentation to developers. The service was widely expected to launch Tuesday in the US as part of iOS 7. Streaming music -- a rare corner of growth for the otherwise beleaguered music industry -- is already a field crowded by the likes of Pandora, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Rdio, Google Music All Access, et al., but Apple's base of at least 575 million iTunes customers worldwide makes up for missing out on first-mover advantage. Pandora, by comparison, is the current king on streaming radio with about 72 million active users as of last month, and it surpassed 200 million registered users earlier this year. This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayiTunes Radio is a free, ad-supported service for iPhones, iPod Touches, Apple TV and iTunes on Macs and PCs, with 200 stations built by Apple's music team to adapt to a user's listening history. Apple has said subscribers of its cloud-based music library product, iTunes Match, could access an ad-free version. Cloud Match costs $24.99 a year. With Apple striking direct deals with the three major music labels to kickstart iTunes Radio, the service holds the promise of a greater degree of user control over what is played. Pandora, the biggest online streaming music service, operates under a blanket Internet radio licensing system that saves it from the work of sealing deals with labels but limits how often users can skip songs or select precisely which song they want to hear. Apple isn't bound by such strictures, and developer versions of iTunes Radio indicated users would be able to adjust how much playtime is given to recognizable hits versus discovery of lesser-known tracks. But Apple provided little further detail Tuesday about the service, nor did it offer insights about several other product that were expected to get an update. This year has been choppy for Apple, which encountered pressure from activist investors, a verdict that it led an antitrust conspiracy at its e-book store, and continuing criticism of its labor practices in China. The troubles have allowed Samsung, the world's biggest phone maker, to eat away at Apple's mobile share, a market it upended with the iPhone.
Apple's radio service, iTunes Radio, will be part of the company's newest operating system for its mobile devices on September 18.Related stories:Apple launches iPhone 5S and $99 iPhone 5C with five colorsiPhone 5C First TakeiPhone 5S First TakeApple's new announcements (pictures)Apple to release iOS 7 on Sept. 18Wall Street shrugs as Apple can no longer keep a secretThe computer maker made the official announcement at an event at its Cupertino, Calif., home base Tuesday. Headlining the same presentation was its introduction of a new budget smartphone, the iPhone 5C, and its new flagship iPhone 5S, as it seeks to attract more customers and revitalize interest in its devices. iTunes Radio, the long-awaited online radio service from Apple, was unveiled in June at Apple's WWDC presentation to developers. The service was widely expected to launch Tuesday in the US as part of iOS 7. Streaming music -- a rare corner of growth for the otherwise beleaguered music industry -- is already a field crowded by the likes of Pandora, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Rdio, Google Music All Access, et al., but Apple's base of at least 575 million iTunes customers worldwide makes up for missing out on first-mover advantage. Pandora, by comparison, is the current king on streaming radio with about 72 million active users as of last month, and it surpassed 200 million registered users earlier this year. This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayiTunes Radio is a free, ad-supported service for iPhones, iPod Touches, Apple TV and iTunes on Macs and PCs, with 200 stations built by Apple's music team to adapt to a user's listening history. Apple has said subscribers of its cloud-based music library product, iTunes Match, could access an ad-free version. Cloud Match costs $24.99 a year. With Apple striking direct deals with the three major music labels to kickstart iTunes Radio, the service holds the promise of a greater degree of user control over what is played. Pandora, the biggest online streaming music service, operates under a blanket Internet radio licensing system that saves it from the work of sealing deals with labels but limits how often users can skip songs or select precisely which song they want to hear. Apple isn't bound by such strictures, and developer versions of iTunes Radio indicated users would be able to adjust how much playtime is given to recognizable hits versus discovery of lesser-known tracks. But Apple provided little further detail Tuesday about the service, nor did it offer insights about several other product that were expected to get an update. This year has been choppy for Apple, which encountered pressure from activist investors, a verdict that it led an antitrust conspiracy at its e-book store, and continuing criticism of its labor practices in China. The troubles have allowed Samsung, the world's biggest phone maker, to eat away at Apple's mobile share, a market it upended with the iPhone.
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