Some Apple applications developers have been hit with demands from a company claiming it has patents covering Apple’s in-app purchase system, several reports say.

According to Information Week, at least four iOS apps developers have “threatened with patent infringement lawsuits” by Texas-based Lodsys.

U.K.-based The Guardian says that Lodsys has “contacted at least five developers of iOS apps in the US and UK”.

The patent Lodsys is basing its demnds on is U.S. patent no. 7222078 called “Methods and systems for gathering information from units of a commodity across a network” which credits Daniel H. Abelow as the inventor.

Abelow has reportedly sold the patent to Lodsys in 2004.

According to the Guardian, iOS app developer James Thomson of Glasgow, Scotland; Matt Braun of Toledo, Ohio and Patrick McCarron of Chicago, Illinois have received the Lodsys demands.

Information Week adds that Rob Gloess based in the U.K. has also received a demand from the Texan company.

Lodsys is reportedly demanding that the developers license their patents. Information Week says that Lodsys has licensed patents from its portfolio to tech companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft.

No word yet, however, if Apple will defend the developers threatened with patent infringement lawsuits by Lodsys.

About Solon Harmony Dolor

A passion for technology and journalism makes this upcoming writer very interested in social media and technology news. Fresh from finishing an English and Journalism degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman, he aims to bring interesting news to our readers .