Apple sues HTC

This one is a bit of an old one folks, but I thought I would share it with you anyway.

It seems Apple Inc (those lovable scamps who make the iPad) are suing HTC Corp for patent infringement on over 20 patents for some of their latest smartphones running the Android OS. The funniest part about the whole thing, was that HTC didn't even know the lawsuit had been filed until they were called upon by the media to comment on the suit. Steve Jobs had even made a public statement, claiming that Apple would not sit on it's heals while their technology was being stolen. Seems a bit fishy to me...

Honesty, this lawsuit seems more directed at Google and their new Android OS. So why go after HTC instead, you ask? Well, I'm of the opinion that Apple knows Google has the cash to lawyer up and keep this in litigation for years if not a decade. It doesn't help that the lawsuit is based on a group of patents that were written very very technically, and whose ages range from the 90's to early February 2010. It will take so long for anything to get ironed out in this case, they knew that Google could point to that and stall this, possibly, indefinitely.

Here is where HTC comes in. Apple knows they are not nearly a big enough company to let this linger for years, so, they decide to hit them for their "implementation" of the Android OS into their phones. It's a loose suit, but still valid since they claim the patents are being infringed upon. All of this is not written in the suit, mind you, but it makes sense. Apple wants to go after Google, but can't do it directly as the company is to powerful and a frontal assault won't work. They need to flank them, so by suing HTC, they have a much better chance to win - either via a settle or court ruling - which would establish a precedent. This could, in turn, be used in any claim against Google, as it would show that these patents were being used unlawfully, on Android OS phones. I'm no lawyer, but I can totally see how this could put Google in weakened position in the courts.

Steve Jobs is a lot of things, but no one can ever claim he is a fool. This seems like a calculated move on Apple's part, and it will be very interesting to see how this all plays out. Right now, I'm sticking with the iPhone. Don't hurt me Apple. I bruise.

~ KONSHUS

Interested on detailed information on the patent(s) in question? Check out this link: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/02/apple-vs-htc-a-patent-breakdown/