In a move that’s caught most of us off guard, HTC has just filed another patent infringement lawsuit against Apple. Yes, HTC and Apple have a history of exchanging lawsuits over patent issues, but the latest case seems to highlight Google’s involvement in the defense of Android. HTC’s latest battle against Apple stems from nine patents which were all recently under Google’s possession. No one at Google or HTC have disclosed how the ownership of the patents was transferred from Google to HTC or if there was any cash involved in the transaction, but we have a feeling that things could start looking a lot better for HTC and any other OEM interested in defending their use of the Android platform on their devices.
The lawsuit contends the Mac computer, iPhone, iPod, iPad, iCloud and iTunes are infringing patents for a way to upgrade software wirelessly; a way to transfer data between a microprocessor and a support chip; a method to store user preferences, and a way to provide consistent contact between application software and a radio modem.
The number of open patent lawsuits within the mobile industry is astounding these days. We find it surprising when we go a whole week without hearing about a new case being presented to the ITC or Federal Courts here in the United States. Now that HTC has Google (or at least their patents) on their side, we hope Apple will back down and simply allow HTC another other manufacturers to create phones and let the consumers decide which devices are best.
Source: Bloomberg
