HTC Returns Fire at Apple: HTC Suing Apple for Patent Infringement

[dgstorm]

One day after Google announced the potential acquisition of Motorola, HTC files a lawsuit against Apple claiming patent infringement. This legal "volley" fired at Apple does not come as a surprise, as previously we reported that HTC was holding some S3 Graphics patents that proved to be infringed upon by several of Apple's products, including Macintosh computers. Here's a quote from the Reuters article,

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware seeks to halt Apple's importation and sale of infringing products in the United States. It also seeks compensatory damages, triple damages for willful infringement and other remedies.

In some ways it might be disappointing to see HTC using the legal system as a weapon, but in this instance, this is the only thing that HTC can do to defend itself. More than likely, they are trying to pressure Apple into dropping their lawsuit against HTC, or at least get them to consider working out a licensing deal instead.

Source: Android.net via Reuters

 

[jkhonea]

Honestly, this is not anything new. These types of legal antics are prevalent across the corporate world and are ALWAYS going on. It is how they do business. ALL major corporations do these types of cases. This is just the one the media has latched onto. Eventually they will get bored and move on to the next groups suing each other all the time.

Not one company is better than another regarding this stuff. Find me one major corporation without a legal department. This is a major part of what the legal departments exist for.

 

[Beardface]

You play with the bull, you get the horns.

Apple asked for this by going lawsuit crazy. As the OP said, this is the ONLY way HTC is going to be able to defend itself, so it was only a matter of time before it came out. However, Apple chose the wrong bear to poke, cause now HTC is not only going after their phones, pods, and pads, but now they're going after their Macs... Big mistake, fruit, big mistake...

 

[jntdroid]

If you want to see more jobs created – change patent laws « blog maverick

 

[OneTenderRebel]

This isn't a "retaliation move" by HTC and those that think so are either blinded by their hatred or naive to big business practice. The issue here is, like said many times before, the tech patent system is horribly flawed and needs a major overhaul. So those that think Apple is the big bully and this is just HTC finally standing up to said bully are just wearing rose-colored glasses.

 

[czerdrill]

business as usual...nothing to see here...

 

[dgstorm]

This isn't a "retaliation move" by HTC and those that think so are either blinded by their hatred or naive to big business practice. The issue here is, like said many times before, the tech patent system is horribly flawed and needs a major overhaul. So those that think Apple is the big bully and this is just HTC finally standing up to said bully are just wearing rose-colored glasses.

Your argument, when directed toward industry as a whole, is valid. However, if you take things to an individual level, HTC was not the one to start suing Apple. In fact, I did some digging, and I couldn't find any incident within the last few years in which HTC was suing anyone for anything, before this event. Based upon results, it is obvious that HTC is using this move as a "retaliation" in order to fight back from Apple's lawsuit. It's not taking sides to realize this.

Your point that the tech patent system is flawed is absolutely true, but to make a generalized statement that all businesses operate this way doesn't bear up to facts. Just because some companies abuse the broken patent system, doesn't mean that all of them do so. In this particular instance, HTC has little choice but to fight in the same way, in order to survive. Furthermore, just because many businesses do this doesn't mean that it is the way they all do things. What else would you expect HTC to do, just roll over to Apple's demands? Also, just because many businesses do practice legal "bullying" doesn't make it ethical to do so. You are right that the system needs to be fixed, but that doesn't obviate a company's responsibility to act in an ethical manner. If it were legal to brutalize women (as it is in some countries), that doesn't make it "right" or ethical to do so. At some point individuals and organizations have to say... just because I can get away with something doesn't mean I should. It isn't the right thing to do.

Also, please don't assume that someone is "blinded by hatred" or "naive" just because they state a perspective. Those kind of statements attack the person instead of their argument. There is no need to make things personal.

 

[knighthonor]

Wait, what lawsuit apple has on HTC?

Sent from my DROIDX using DroidForums

 

[OneTenderRebel]

Your argument, when directed toward industry as a whole, is valid. However, if you take things to an individual level, HTC was not the one to start suing Apple. In fact, I did some digging, and I couldn't find any incident within the last few years in which HTC was suing anyone for anything, before this event. Based upon results, it is obvious that HTC is using this move as a "retaliation" in order to fight back from Apple's lawsuit. It's not taking sides to realize this.

Your point that the tech patent system is flawed is absolutely true, but to make a generalized statement that all businesses operate this way doesn't bear up to facts. Just because some companies abuse the broken patent system, doesn't mean that all of them do so. In this particular instance, HTC has little choice but to fight in the same way, in order to survive. Furthermore, just because many businesses do this doesn't mean that it is the way they all do things. What else would you expect HTC to do, just roll over to Apple's demands? Also, just because many businesses do practice legal "bullying" doesn't make it ethical to do so. You are right that the system needs to be fixed, but that doesn't obviate a company's responsibility to act in an ethical manner. If it were legal to brutalize women (as it is in some countries), that doesn't make it "right" or ethical to do so. At some point individuals and organizations have to say... just because I can get away with something doesn't mean I should. It isn't the right thing to do.

Also, please don't assume that someone is "blinded by hatred" or "naive" just because they state a perspective. Those kind of statements attack the person instead of their argument. There is no need to make things personal.

Sorry was getting defensive before the predictable onslaught of I hate apple posts start pouring in.

So HTC is the better "man" because they have decided to lower their values as a company to the same level as Apple? I agree the number of lawsuits out there right now, particularly from Apple, is ridiculous but as soon as another company sues back for the same exact thing, they are now no better than Apple. This isn't a woe is me I better sue back move, trust me they will spend a heap more money suing Apple than they will defending themselves against Apple. None of these lawsuits are going to result in a stoppage of sales, especially in the USA. Most of these will be settled out of court. The guy backed into a corner argument doesn't work, IMO, these companies are all just proving they want market domination by whatever means necessary. Unfortunately they have chosen the courts to do so.

 

[dgstorm]

Sorry was getting defensive before the predictable onslaught of I hate apple posts start pouring in.

So HTC is the better "man" because they have decided to lower their values as a company to the same level as Apple? I agree the number of lawsuits out there right now, particularly from Apple, is ridiculous but as soon as another company sues back for the same exact thing, they are now no better than Apple. This isn't a woe is me I better sue back move, trust me they will spend a heap more money suing Apple than they will defending themselves against Apple. None of these lawsuits are going to result in a stoppage of sales, especially in the USA. Most of these will be settled out of court. The guy backed into a corner argument doesn't work, IMO, these companies are all just proving they want market domination by whatever means necessary. Unfortunately they have chosen the courts to do so.

You have a point there OTR. The amount of money, time and resources spent on these "patent wars" is ridiculous. At some point, someone has to stop and say... enough is enough, I am not going to behave this way. Perhaps the truth is somewhere in the middle, which is, incidentally, where people must meet.

 

[czerdrill]

HTC is doing what any company would do...i think we need to stop humanizing these companies and thinking they have compassion and care about the consumer and all that. Companies sue. It's what they do. That's how it's always been. HTC is not some good "guy" who is fighting to survive. They're going to be wasting just as money as Apple by suing them right back. It's not a "we have to do this to survive" scenario. It's a "they did it to us, so we're doing it to them" scenario. Both sides want the other to fail. I just dont get why Google and HTC have chosen to play the victim in this case when it's evident that they infringed as well...

 

[OneTenderRebel]

That's the thing, I don't think you can make a tech product anymore without "technically" infringing on someone's patent. At some point some high court somewhere in the realm of this universe needs to see this and change some rules. But until then you can't blame or fault any of these companies for taking advantage of rules in place, no matter how much we can't stand the process.

 

[jkhonea]

HTC is doing what any company would do...i think we need to stop humanizing these companies and thinking they have compassion and care about the consumer and all that. Companies sue. It's what they do. That's how it's always been. HTC is not some good "guy" who is fighting to survive. They're going to be wasting just as money as Apple by suing them right back. It's not a "we have to do this to survive" scenario. It's a "they did it to us, so we're doing it to them" scenario. Both sides want the other to fail. I just dont get why Google and HTC have chosen to play the victim in this case when it's evident that they infringed as well...

That's the thing, I don't think you can make a tech product anymore without "technically" infringing on someone's patent. At some point some high court somewhere in the realm of this universe needs to see this and change some rules. But until then you can't blame or fault any of these companies for taking advantage of rules in place, no matter how much we can't stand the process.

These summarize the situation quite well.

 

[czerdrill]

That's the thing, I don't think you can make a tech product anymore without "technically" infringing on someone's patent. At some point some high court somewhere in the realm of this universe needs to see this and change some rules. But until then you can't blame or fault any of these companies for taking advantage of rules in place, no matter how much we can't stand the process.

Right and on the flip side, you can't knowingly steal IP because you don't agree with the system, and then expect not to get sued or go around saying you're being bullied when someone does something about it.

 

[nikecar]

I see it like this.

If you were getting beat up by a bigger kid with a stick each and every day. Wouldn't you one day, when you realize you were next to a stick, actually grab one and use it back?

HTC got the S3 patents as that stick the little kid found to defend against the bigger kid's stick (Apple). Without that S3 stick, HTC would still be getting wailed on.