Apple sues HTC for patent infringement
02.03.10
Apple is getting more protective of its intellectual property, announcing a new patent infringement lawsuit against smart phone manufacturer HTC.
In a statement , Apple said it filed the suit against HTC for infringement of 20 patents dealing with the iPhone. Two complaints were filed concurrently in U.S. International Trade Commission and in U.S. District Court in Delaware.
"We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We've decided to do something about it," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs, in a statement. "We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours."
Apple's patent complaint follows another patent battle with Nokia, which surfaced in October when Nokia sued Apple for patent infringement. Apple counter-sued, followed by more allegations from Nokia.
HTC has responded to the lawsuit Tuesday with a statement to Engadget : "We only learned of Apple's actions based on your stories and Apple's press release. We have not been served yet so we are in no position to comment on the claims. We respect and value patent rights but we are committed to defending our own innovations. We have been innovating and patenting our own technology for 13 years.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (blog)