Lodsys filed suit earlier this year against a number of third-party App Store developers, claiming that it owned patents covering a number of functions used by Apple's app marketplace, and that by using that store, these third-party devs were in violation of these patents. Apple, however, came out swinging a little while back, throwing a blistering letter down in the lawsuit, essentially calling Lodsys' claims nonsense. And now Atari, EA, and a number of other iOS developers named in the lawsuit have thrown their support behind Apple's argument, officially filing motions to support Apple's position outlined in that letter.
The motions also ask that Apple be allowed into the lawsuit as an intervenor and not just a third-party, so that it can properly review and make an actual response to everything filed by Lodsys. Lodsys has been accused of making an end-run around Apple to the smaller developers in this case, and trying to go after companies that might not be able to afford a fight, but passing this motion would pit Lodsys straight up against Apple and all of its resources rather than just the developers themselves.
One notable exception from the companies already fighting the case: Google. Lodsys reportedly also targeted Android developers, but so far Google hasn't stepped up in the same way that Apple has. We'll have to see if the folks in Mountain View are willing to join the fight as well.
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