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Apple’s motion to intervene in Lodsys cases is thrown out

Screen Shot 2013-09-30 at 10.39.17

Ars Technica is reporting that a judge has denied Apple’s request to intervene in Lodsys’ current patent disputes against app developers. Apple originally filed a motion to step in to the case in June, 2011. However, the judge has disregarded Apple’s statements saying that it is out of the scope of the active trial in an order dated September 24th.

Apple continues to oppose the alleged patent infringements, saying that their license covers third-party developers to use their technology. The contention in the current ruling was a debate of scope. Apple was insisting that its motion was on behalf of all iOS developers, not just the seven developers in the current cases.

A claim covering six million unnamed app developers is far outside the scope of the instant action. Thus, even assuming that all the named defendants had not been dismissed from the case and Apple’s claim proceeded to trial, any judgment subsequently rendered would be limited in scope to those named defendants, and not, as Apple urges, apply to all Apple developers.

In this ruling, the judge has decided that Apple’s wording (through the interchangeable use of “developers” and “defendants”) is related to the current cases only.

As such, because Lodsys has already settled or dismissed these cases in the interim, the judge said that “a live controversy no longer exists” as Apple’s motion currently applies to zero active cases. Therefore, Apple’s counterclaim has been “dismissed as moot”. The judge has suggested that Apple could follow up by suing Lodsys directly.

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Comments

  1. b9bot - 11 years ago

    I think Apple should sue Lodsys. That would probably be a good idea. Hopefully patent troll laws will come into play and get rid of companies like Lodsys that make nothing yet claim money from the people and companies that actually do make valuable products. Just because they have a piece of paper which in fact they did nothing with except buy it.

    • pkadam - 11 years ago

      They should demonstrate that their model work as in working between devices and not just on paper.

Author

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.