Apple sues HTC over iPhone patents

Apple has sued rival smartphone maker HTC over violation of patents related to the iPhone, accusing HTC of infringing on up to 20 patents relating to the popular smartphone's hardware and user interface.

"We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it," added Apple CEO Steve Jobs. "We've decided to do something about it."

Apple is looking for monetary damages and an injunction that will block HTC from selling phones using the infringing patents in the United States.

The complaints have been filed with the ITC, which can order HTC to halt sales, but complaints of this nature normally take months at the least and sometimes as long as decades.

HTC responded: "HTC values patent rights and their enforcement but is also committed to defending its own technology innovations," adding it did not have enough time to review all the claims.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 2 Mar 2010 18:13

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7 comments

canuckerz

They're likely just scared of the growing android market. Its just their anti competition bs all over again just like how they make it so their other idevices are only compatible with things specifically made for them; whereas with andriod it is the exact oposite.

Its the same crap burton has been doing with their boards and bindings for years, making it so other manufacturers arent interchangable then building hype and fads based off their company more than their technology.

2.3.2010 21:51 #1

plazma247

Im not sure what apple recon they are going with this as htc have made smartphones devices long before the launch of the iphone or itouch.

Recent incarnations have been loaded with android (os and hence not htc) and the only rel difrence between older gen devices and new devics is the use of a capactive touch interface instead of the older resistive technology.

So i can only conclude that its more scare tack mungry than anything else, after all mr gates does have a very large share in apple and with windows 7 phone up and coming ms are going to need HTC to manufacture the phones. But wait we have a problem here HTC have nearly halted the production of phones using the wm platform and swapped to android, where once they used to only produced devices for the wm platform they embraced android (one can only assume as it doesnt cost them anything extra for the sw licence per handset).

So what happens when MS turns around and says ok if you produce more or only windows 7 phone devices can apple magically make the suit go away. Although many manufactures are now looking at the android platform most of the phones running googles os are made by HTC and halting production with them would really restrict the android market and possibly cause it to fail.

Im not sure what will happen, but when the manufacture and made all your nice windows mobile phones goes rogue and decideds to have the cheek to start making phones for the compertition. Additionally you have just spent nearly 3 years creating a completely new mobile platform and are face with the only manufacture that could probably pull off what you want is to busy making phones using a free os. Do you find another manufacture and hope they can do what HTC did, probably not, do you create your own hardware manufacture and start from scratch. Again probably not, unless they had already done this 2 - 3 years back and hard already established a decent production line and testing system. But more likely you find a way to get them back on side.

Watch this space....

PS, if you think microsoft didnt know this was coming when they released the details of the windows 7 phone, why do you think they said nothing about the hardware, why be so careful, normally we would get reams of specs about how advanced this or that was.

3.3.2010 04:33 #2

silex

What was sad above is correct. HTC has been doing this for years. And in this country, patents are enforced based on first to innovate and not first to file. Depending on Apple's claims, HTC has more than likely won even before the battle started.

4.3.2010 06:46 #3

plazma247

Originally posted by silex: What was sad above is correct. HTC has been doing this for years. And in this country, patents are enforced based on first to innovate and not first to file. Depending on Apple's claims, HTC has more than likely won even before the battle started.From what ive read else where since, the suits all appear to be things that are essentially OS drive, so in reality this is an indirect way to start going after android... However its worth noting that multi touch interfaces do also pre-date the iphone.. So its still really murky where on earth or what on earth they are trying to sue for.

To be honest HTC have been an outstanding phone company as were really the first manufactures of what could be considered a mordern smartphone, its such a shame to see apple once more try dirty tricks to hold onto market share.

Opionion is changing... something afoot in the smartphone world, would love if nokia get any luck on their counter-counter sue against apple, at least nokia have a valid claim, all the other manufactures cough up to nokia so why should apple.

4.3.2010 12:31 #4

BUDDD

Apple seems to have become quite the corporate scumbag.If it wasnt for the compensation payment from Microsoft , they would have dissappeared up their own a** holes, but that is hardly a way to run a sustainable business by suing for profit. Plus back then Microsoft was perceived to be the scumbag .
I dont think it'll be long before Apple are the ones paying out big time because of uncompetitive restrictive practices... Even if they dont in the US courts , European courts will end up doing the job. ;)

4.3.2010 17:27 #5

leglessoz

Sort of the pot calling the kettle black really. Apple used tech from Xerox, TI and other to make their Macs a reality. They sued Microsoft for stealing the look and feel for Windows from their OS when they've stolen it from Xerox. Get real Steve!

5.3.2010 20:36 #6

LeeSally

Steve Jobs is the real scumbag;

I read an early article about how he treated his first partner Steve Wozeanac (spelling). For their first sale, Jobs was sent to collect the proceed of the sale. When he came back, Woziana (speeling?) asked Jobs how much Jobs was able to collect. Jobs told Wozianac that he got zero, but in fact he collected $2000 from the customer. He just pocketed the money.

Ever wonder why Steve Woziana left as soon as he could and never once associates with Jobs?

Jobs may be talented designer, but integrity and honesty he never has any.

Compare to Microsoft?

7.3.2010 15:48 #7

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