Lodsys, the patent licensing company that has already filed lawsuits against a number of developers of iOS and Android developers, is at it again. Venture Beat reports that Lodsys is now going after major game publishers, including Electronic Arts, Square Enix, Take Two Interactive and Rovio, the developer of the hit game Angry Birds. Lodsys claims in an amended lawsuit this week that these companies "have infringed on a patent that covers in-app billing technology." The company is looking to get a piece of the revenues from these game publishers which could be considerable if Lodsys is successful. So far, the parties involved have not commented on this newest legal development.
Lodsys started its legal battles earlier this May when it filed patent lawsuits against a number of developers who have made apps for Apple"s iOS platform. Apple has made the claim that it has the licensing rights to the patents that Lodsys control and those rights extend to the developers that make programs for the iOS platform. Lodsys has since filed even more lawsuits against both iOS and Android developers. However, it has offered to give those developers who are being sued $1,000 if it is proven wrong in court.
This newest action by Lodsys specifically mentions a number of games that it claims violates its patents, including the mega selling downloadable game Angry Birds. It also mentions the iPhone version of EA"s The Sims 3, Square Enix’s Big Hit Baseball for the iPhone and iPad, and the iPhone version of 2K Sports"s NHL 2K11 game.