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February 12, 2008

legal

Apple hit with patent suit over iTunes Allowance

Posted Feb. 12, ’08, 10:00 AM PT by Cyrus Farivar
Category | Legal

icon-itunes.jpgSo apparently some folks — we’ll call them Picciallo and Butch — claim to already have invented something along the lines of iTunes Allowance. That’s the system by which folks can let their kids/loved ones have a limited about of spending cash without going too crazy.

Or in patent-ese:

A computer-based method for allocating funds in pre-established accounts for use by customers, by creating for each customer a customer account file containing a record of funds deposited for the customer, and limiting how the funds in each customer account file may be spent on audio and video entertainment in the form of goods and services in response to command instructions from the fund depositor, wherein the limit on the funds is a limit on transaction amount or a limit according to content on the audio or video entertainment on which the funds may be spent. Computer-based systems implementing the inventive method are also disclosed.

Man, that’s like, one whole sentence.

Anyway, those dudes aren’t too happy that Jobs & Co. apparently nicked their idea.

The iPod Observer reports: “The case was filed on February 6 in Illinois Southern District Court and states that Apple is using the feature in iTunes without authorization or permission.”


1 Comments

Anonymous said:

Well...I guess these brainiacs better go after the entire mobile phone market too...since any of those that have paid for content available also have account access / spending limits so that parents can control their children's spending. I hate greedy, manipulative people.

February 12, 2008 3:25 PM

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