The long-running patent dispute between Apple and HTC has really kicked off this weekend, with a US judge ruling that HTC has infringed two of Apple’s tech patents by using designs owned by Apple in its Android phones.
Many media observers, such as the Financial Times, are saying this ruling could make things very difficult for HTC and possibly threaten Android as a whole, but it depends on which patents HTC is judged to have been using without license.
Here’s HTC’s response to Apple’s legal win:
“We are highly confident we have a strong case for the ITC appeals process and are fully prepared to defend ourselves using all means possible … We strongly believe we have alternate solutions in place for the issues raised by Apple. We look forward to resolving this case, so we can continue creating the most innovative mobile experiences for consumers”
We suspect, to the end user, nothing much will change. Maybe the multitouch will have to be tweaked so it only respond to thumbs rather than fingers. Here’s HTC’s full statement on the ruling.
ITC JUDGES RELEASES INITIAL DETERMINATION IN APPLE VS. HTC CASE
Taoyuan, Taiwan–July 16, 2011 – HTC received notice of the ITC judge’s initial determination in the Apple vs. HTC case, ITC No. 337-TA-710. Apple originally asserted 10 of its patents against HTC in March 2010, and the judge ruled today that HTC infringed on 2 patents. HTC does not yet have access to the judge’s full opinion and analysis to determine the details of his findings.
“We are highly confident we have a strong case for the ITC appeals process and are fully prepared to defend ourselves using all means possible,” said Grace Lei, General Counsel of HTC. “We strongly believe we have alternate solutions in place for the issues raised by Apple. We look forward to resolving this case, so we can continue creating the most innovative mobile experiences for consumers.”
The ITC’s Staff Attorney independently studied the facts and argued at trial that HTC does not violate any of the 10 Apple patents.
The ITC has already ruled that Apple is infringing the patents of HTC’s subsidiary S3 Graphics as part of ITC Investigation No. 337-TA-724. HTC announced its acquisition of S3Graphics on July 6, 2011.
Motorola’s latest flagship dual-core Android monster is a massive, original powerhouse, that’s a big improvement on previous MOTOBLUR mobiles – but still isn’t a total winner.
A slim and glamorous phone from Sony Ericsson, with the sharpest display around. It’s no powerhouse and the screen’s not the biggest out there, but we don’t mind. Because it’s cute.
LG’s first glasses-free 3D phone is a heavy, fat monster, with a clever 3D effect that works rather well. As a smartphone, though, it’s heavy and underwhelming.
A very shiny thing from Sony Ericsson, with a 3.7″ screen and Android 2.3.3 inside. But is it exciting enough to win fans in today’s spec-obsessed market? Can man live on one core alone?
INQ’s Android phone is an interesting “boutique” piece of hardware, packed with unique interface customisations that go far beyond the headline Facebook integration. We like it a lot.
David
/ July 16, 2011HTC should sue ITC – they have the same two last letters.
Gary C
/ July 16, 2011I’m sure they will, eventually, as it looks like everyone’s going to be suing everyone else sooner or later.
David
/ July 17, 2011Probably!
I would’ve respected Apple if they fight in the Marketplace, not the courts. It’s a shame they had to stoop to daft patent wars.
The blinding obvious
/ July 19, 2011So does that mean that you think that no inventions should be protected? The world would be a very different and anarchistic place with no IP protection. The vast amount of money that is invested by companies like Apple in creating new ideas needs some protection.
Also, don’t forget that this type of patent protection is going on all the time between all these big companies and the normal result is that there is a trade off between them and licence fees get paid for the technology that is being used.