It seems Apple just might have suspended approval of new and updated apps that use in-app purchases because of recent patent trolling.
TUAW is reporting an increasing number of developers saying a part of the app approval process is down:
As a matter of policy, Apple requires developers to test in-app purchases (IAP) with a test user account before the application in question can be approved. Unfortunately, this test account has been offline for a week now with no word as to why. If you are a developer, you can see the relevant thread on Apple's own developer forums here.There's speculation Apple may have suspended the test account after the US company Lodsys started contacting developers saying it hold a patent for "in-app purchases" and demanding payment. Many developers use the system as a way to upgrade a free app into a fully-featured paid-for app.
Of course, the system may be down just for maintenance or a fault.
(Via: TUAW)
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