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edit: This wiki.answers page seems to say that could work http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_someone_sue_another_person_if_...
This is confusing. Minecraft on Android doesn't have any Minecraft specific authentication service, it's tied to your google account just like all other Android (market) apps. You can find the app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mojang.min... The entire suit is based on something patently (ha ha ha) untrue. Minecraft on the PC /does/ authenticate with a licensing server, but this suit specifie…
OK, I mean, it's possible, but is anyone taking this seriously? Does this lawsuit even stand a chance?
http://www.scribd.com/doc/100637098/Uniloc-et-al-v-Electroni...
A cursory reading of the claims explicitly outlined against Mojang makes me wonder if it's even a valid claim, they seem to be claiming the 'computer executable code' in claim 107 instead of a 'method'.
It also seems like there would be plenty of prior art to find computer code on an electronic device to prevent unauthorized access. I think the PDP-10 and UNIX would suffice such prior art.
http://www.google.com/patents/US6857067?printsec=abstract#v=...
I'd encourage you all to read it.
The majority of the summary, related art and claims are related to "smart cards". That is: a user plugs a smart card into their computer, which has one half of a licence key on it, and it then verifies this with a server either over LAN or the web.
There are a couple of broad claims which could, if upheld, cripple many systems which work like this (log in to installed software over the web, essentially).
I think (think) they might go on to claim that the SIM has a UID (it does) which is somehow involved in the process of authing a user for Google's store. If that's the case, or Google is indeed passing identifiable information from your phone to your Google account for auth purposes, then that appears to be covered by the patent, which specifically mentions SIM cards as one potential alternative "smart card".
What really pisses me off about this is the fact that the patent holders so clearly conceived of a really terrible piece of technology. It was filed in 2005 at a time when a lot of music software came with hardware decryption (i.e. an anti-piracy USB key you had to stick in to your computer when using the software) and they apparently thought that "smart cards" were the way forward. Turns out they were shit out of luck on that, but in passing they mentioned something so vague that it inevitably came to pass.
When are governments finally going to do something about the patent system?
This is hilarious. Mojang is on not subject of US laws, US software patents can not be enforced either. So Mojng can totally ignore that case.