Earlier this month, Lodsys, a company often described as a “patent troll,” sent threatening letters to a number of App Store developers saying that they needed to pay licensing fees for two of its patents. Apple soon chimed in on the debate saying that because it had paid licensing fees to Lodsys, third-party developers didn’t need to.
Now Lodsys has taken the next step and filed suit against seven developers for patent infringement. In an unusual move, it promises to pay the developers $1,000 each if the court finds that they don’t owe licensing fees.
Because Lodsys claims that Android and Mac developers should also be required to pay licensing fees, the outcome of the cases could have far-reaching implications.
