Google has filed a request with the USPTO to ask it to re-examine two patents held by intellectual property firm, Lodsys. It has asked for an assessment on whether the patents at the heart of the dispute between Lodsys and app developers are valid.
Google senior vice president and general counsel, Kent Walker told Wired.com: ‘We’ve asked the US Patent Office to reexamine two Lodsys patents that we believe should never have been issued. Developers play a critical part in the Android ecosystem and Google will continue to support them.’
Lodsys issued notices of infringement to several iOS and Android developers in May. Apple intervened on behalf of iOS developers within days, claiming in an open letter to Lodsys CEO, Mark Small, that its developers were covered by the licence for the patents held by Apple. It also filed a motion to intervene in the dispute in the US courts.
During the summer, Lodsys has issued legal proceedings against several developers, including Atari, Electronic Arts, and Angry Birds developer, Rovio. Lodsys’ lawyers have also been busy responding to declaratory judgements filed with courts in the US which seek a ruling that the plaintiffs have not infringed on Lodsys patents.
Google’s request to the USPTO is the first time it has intervened in the dispute in the three months since its developers were first threatened with legal action.
