Apple Files Lawsuit Against HTC Over Alleged iPhone Patent Infringement

http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/02/apple-sues-htc-for-infringing-20-iphone-patents/

Story still developing as Engadget pulls the details of the lawsuit down.

Looks like Apple's going on the warpath, kids. Just a few months after Cupertino got into it with Nokia over phone patents, Apple's filed suit against HTC, alleging that the company is infringing 20 patents "related to the iPhone's user interface, underlying architecture, and hardware." Steve, you have something to say?

"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 Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours."
Okay then. We're pulling the complaint filing now, we'll let you know the exact details as soon as we learn them.

Mods: If this story is elsewhere please merge it

Good. Here we go.

"We've patented the hell out of this thing"

Finally, Apple wakes up and takes action.

"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 Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours."

Steve Jobs said that? Sounds a lot like Katie Cotton to me...

Android having multitouch must be making someone at Apple very angry. What they should be worried about is "accidentally" infringing on patents that HTC may hold. They've been in the phone business for a while, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that they hold a patent or two that other phone manufacturers have used, but just haven't enforced.

Windows Phone 7 Series has multitouch as well. All Android phones in Europe has it as well.

They've been in the phone business for a while,

HTC may hold patents they did nothing with until Apple showed up. Then again, HTC might have simply decided to walk a fine line (possibly violating Apple's patents) and pull in profit for as long as possible before it hit the fan.

Apple introduced the iPhone and suddenly everyone else got busy changing around their UIs, adding capacitive touch screens, you name it.

Apple knows exactly what they're doing in the legal arena. They've dodged any and all antitrust dangers, maintained their iTunes business model, fought off all allegations of corporate wrongdoing (stock-options, etc.) and recently got their OS X EULA upheld, burying Psystar.

Note that Apple did nothing against Palm, even though that was a similar situation. Apple *has* decided to go after HTC, though. Seems Apple has a strong position this time.

Smart money is on Apple.

I KNOW apple is infringing on patents.... Pot meet kettle

Apple is currently involved in a number of high-profile patent lawsuits primarily stemming from the iPhone, but also extending into other aspects of the company's business. Apple and Nokia have filed suits against each other citing infringement of each other's patents, while Kodak recently filed complaints against Apple and Research in Motion related to digital camera patents.

They're all a bunch of robbing bastards. At least the biggest bunch of robbing bastards of them all (the lawyers) will be happy.

This must mean that the Nexus 1 is pretty good.

Apple wouldn't bothers suing over a crappy product.

Wondered when Apple would start going after other phone manufacturers. Those HTC phones do seem very similar to the iPhone in places.