Apple and Google are dragging their feet to assist with the Macrosolve and Lodsys patent bullying of small businesses, entrepeneurs, and developers. Without Apple’s and Google’s assistance, the app development community is vulnerable to the strategic attacks made by these companies. Since no Union for developers exists, individual developers are defenseless to the financial and legal bullying brought on by Lodsys and Macrosolve. Small companies and developers cannot afford to invalidate the patents claims made by Macrosolve and Lodsys.
The anonymous person behind the protest suggest developers should pull their apps from the App Store and Android Market.
I wonder if the anonymous person is on one or both of their payrolls.
I must’ve missed something. Last I had heard, both Google and Apple had taken steps to intervene on behalf of developers.
Great Idea! Pull your app… then your source of income will be gone and you’ll have even LESS money to potentially fight the patent trolls.
Seems like someone didn’t think that through.
Jim, you might want to clarify. Your post makes it sound like this person is suggesting abandoning the App Store and Android Marketplace altogether. He’s just saying to pull apps for four days which isn’t nearly as ludicrous.
I think it would be an awesome show of solidarity if all developers pulled their apps for four days. Not to send a message to Apple or Google but to Intellectual Ventures (of which Macrosolve and Lodsys are but two of many shell companies). Unfortunately, I think it’s extremely unlikely.
At this point it’s impossible to write any non-trivial piece of software without violating some broad, vague patent that should never have been awarded in the first place. Independent developers are completely at the mercy of companies like Intellectual Ventures whose sole business activity is buying patents and suing other companies. Any company without a huge legal department can’t begin to afford to prove a patent invalid.
Any of your readers interested in hearing what it’s like to be at the barrel end of Intellectual Ventures’ gun should listen to iDeveloper Live podcast episode 23 (look it up on iTunes). It’s pretty harrowing. They may also want to listen to This American Life episode 441, “When Patents Attack!” (also freely available).
Lawyers don’t drag their feet…it would scuff their nice shoes. Seriously though, this is a complicated legal issue which means that things aren’t going to move as fast as developers need them to move, but it’s not like Apple and Google are trying to screw developers over intentionally. That premise lacks any credibility at all.
Well I don’t know about Google, since I don’t develop for Android or care to at this point I haven’t been watching them, but Apple is definitely doing what they can. They put out the public letter, they have filed the motions. The courts work on their own time table. Which sucks for the developers but it’s the way it goes.
Perhaps what they should consider is some kind of attempted class action suit against Lodsys etc for harassment citing that Apple handled the licenses for them and these companies are trying to double dip. At the least get all the legal costs covered, if not some emotional damages