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Thursday, Oct 16, 2008 11:15am
iBeer developer sues over copycat iPhone app
Brewing giant Molson Coors has been targeted with a $12.5 million lawsuit related to the App Store, according to reports. Hottrix, developer of the iBeer app for the iPhone and iPod touch, has accused Molson Coors of copyright infringement through the creation of iPint, which mimics iBeer in letting users pretend to drink a glass of frothy beer. Although a complaint from Hottrix to Apple led to iPint being removed from the US App Store, it is still available in other regions.

The key issue is believed to stem from the fact that while iBeer costs $3, iPint is free, and is said to have clearly arrived after iBeer given the existence of a technology demonstration video as far back as August 2007. iPint became one of the top 10 free apps on iTunes after its debut, but following its removal, iBeer rose into the list of the top 25 paid apps.

"My client...is really a mom-and-pop company who just wants to protect their intellectual property rights," claims Jason Fisher, Hottrix's attorney. Molson Coors defends its position, arguing that it has "handled this matter appropriately," according to a statement.

The App Store has been an area of some contention, with Apple sometimes being accused of being too quick to pull or block apps in dispute. The company famously took down BoxOffice, despite intense popularity, over what are believed to have been licensing issues. The software later returned as Now Playing.