While Microsoft files patent suits against everything that moves in the software world (well, the FREE software world, that is...), Apple gets sued by others (not that Apple didn't do shameful things in the past, either...), and this time, it's about iTunes. What about iTunes? Well, it seems it's all about the Allowance function...
The ones that filed the suit are the guys from Restricted Spending Solutions, targeting the feature in iTunes which allows users to create accounts for automatic money transfers via a credit card to an account on iTunes. Restricted Spending Solutions also have a patent describing a method for allocating funds automatically in pre-defined accounts, and their patent gets too close to Apple's Allowance function and its methods...
The interesting part of this suit is that statistics presented in the file suggest Apple's control over 75 percent of the online video market and 83 percent of the online music market, as well as a market share exceeding 90 percent, when it comes to the HDD-based media player market.
Getting back to the trial, I am sure they'll sort things out, most probable off-court... but when this happens, we'll be there to give you all the info available!
amy, on March 10, 2008
Actually, I wrote a suggestion on Apple's web site that they ought to offer this service. A few weeks later, there it was. I didn't expect any confirmation from them, and so unfortunately I don't have proof of this, but it was not Restricted Spending's idea.