Not sure it would help, but you can try hiding these apps from within the iTunes Store. From your Mac's iTunes, navigate to the iTunes Store and select "Purchased" and then select the Apps category. There you'll see a list of purchased Apps, and if these show up you might be able to hide them. If you over your cursor over the top-left corner of the app you may see the familar "x" to delete (which hides) the app. I'm not at my Mac at the moment, and the PC I'm at oddly enough does not show the "x", but the cursor arrow changes to a finger if I hover over just the right spot, allowing me to hide past purchases.
Hiding the app may prevent what you're seeing, but if not hopefully Apple can resolve this.