Apple Suing HTC for Alleged 20 iPhone Patent Infringements

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/02/apple-sues-htc-for-infringing-20-iphone-patents/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/02/...iphone-patents/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"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.""</em></p><p>Jobs is ticked off that the world isn't worshiping his iPad and in a fit of childish rage, he commanded his minions to sue HTC so he'd feel better about himself. ;-) Seriously though, <em>"Conserving Power By Reducing Voltage Supplied To An Instruction-Processing Portion Of A Processor"</em> - it's patentable to reduce voltage to a chip? That's common sense I'd think...that's what bugs me about patents; most are not about inventing anything, they're about a concept, like left-right-left of your feet being walking. I think this is going to blow up in Apple's face; it makes them look weak and foolish, like they can't figure out what to do with the iPhone next, so they'll sue HTC to slow them down and get them off track. Personally, I think Microsoft should partner up with HTC and even Google, all three should dig into their patent chest, and blast back at Apple. Might as well make this a real throw-down. I'm all for companies defending their innovations, but this doesn't seem like that's what Apple is doing.</p>

[ntractv]

My sentiments exactly

[Pdaholic]

Why should Apple be upset? Various companies have been stealing their ideas for years, they should be used to it by now, LOL!

Sorry, probably in poor taste, but I had to say it...

[Djblois]

But you cannot patent an idea!!

[doogald]

We should hardly be surprised. A Steve Jobs quote from the January 2007 announcement of the iPhone:

"We've been pushing the state of the art in every facet of this design. We've got the multi-touch screen, miniaturization, OS X in a mobile device, precision enclosures, three advanced sensors, desktop class applications, and the widescreen video iPod. We filed for over 200 patents for all the inventions in iPhone and we intend to protect them."

I do wonder, however, if some of these patents have prior art?

I suppose if you are going to go to the trouble and bother of patenting technology, you sort of commit yourself to suing when you think that they are infringed without license.

[Macguy59]

About as childish and petty as Microsoft trying to cause a stink because it's not fair that Google has been in the search business so long ! All thats missing is a skirt for Mr. Ballmer and his followers.

[Dyvim]

Hmmm, while I think that patenting ideas is ridiculous and that the U.S. patent system is at best broken, I find it funny that this raises Jason's ire, but he wasn't particularly concerned about Nokia suing Apple, Apple suing Nokia, Kodak suing Apple and others recently (and countless others going back the past few years). Everyone's been suing everybody pretty much, but in this case Jobs is in a childish rage because his target is über-gizmo manufacturer HTC? I highly doubt that emotion played any role at all. Rather I think this was a cold, calculated business decision.

[John Cody]

This might indirectly help Windows Phone 7...

If HTC and other hardware manufacturers start shying away from making devices that use android because of the risk of being sued by Apple, guess who they will probably migrate too? ;)

[Pdaholic]

Hmmm, while I think that patenting ideas is ridiculous and that the U.S. patent system is at best broken, I find it funny that this raises Jason's ire, but he wasn't particularly concerned about Nokia suing Apple, Apple suing Nokia, Kodak suing Apple and others recently (and countless others going back the past few years). Everyone's been suing everybody pretty much, but in this case Jobs is in a childish rage because his target is über-gizmo manufacturer HTC? I highly doubt that emotion played any role at all. Rather I think this was a cold, calculated business decision.

Thank goodness we have lawyers. ;)

[Russ Smith]

I'd agree with Jason that this highlights exactly what is wrong with the patent process these days. Patents are about protecting actual devices, not concepts. Patents are supposed to foster innovation (by protecting it for a time) rather than stifling it. One wonders what the world would be like if the folks at Xerox Park Labs had had the gall to patent the mouse and the GUI before the Apple folks paid them a visit.

The paper dump is an obvious ploy. It keeps the competition busy trying to dig through it all instead of focusing on new development.

[Fritzly]

The whole patent system is out of control; this is something that everybody with some common sense can only agree with.
What I am surprised about are the, supposedly, ironic comments in the article, something I did not read when Nokia sued Apple.
Have Ballmer and Co. unleashed their minions because it is Apple that sued?
Just in case: I use a HD2 not an iPhone.... for now.

[doogald]

You have to give Apple (and Nokia) one thing: unlike typical patent trolls, who sue for patents that they never implement, at least Apple and Nokia are suing to protect ideas and devices that they have actually brought to market. And, the other good news is that, if there really is prior art, other hardware manufacturers will not tread lightly about using these ideas themselves.

(I also own an HTC phone.)

[Stinger]

"We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas."
Steve Jobs, 1996

[randalllewis]

The story is about Apple suing HTC and Jason was critical of Apple so I guess it was no surprise that someone would respond with snark about Microsoft and Ballmer.

A pox on all tech companies for their shared zeal in running to the courts (patent or otherwise) to hobble their competitors.

[Jason Dunn]

...but he wasn't particularly concerned about Nokia suing Apple, Apple suing Nokia, Kodak suing Apple and others recently (and countless others going back the past few years).

I don't cover anything Nokia on any of my sites, so frankly it's off my radar - this is much closer to home obviously because HTC makes so many great Windows phones...

[Jason Dunn]

The story is about Apple suing HTC and Jason was critical of Apple so I guess it was no surprise that someone would respond with snark about Microsoft and Ballmer.

'Tis best not to feed the trolls, lest they hunger for more! :)

A pox on all tech companies for their shared zeal in running to the courts (patent or otherwise) to hobble their competitors.

Indeed. And, frankly, while I don't know the details of Nokia suing Apple, or Kodak suing Apple, if the grounds of the suit are baseless, then I'd be opposed to them. I don't think lawyers and lawsuits improve the technology we use.

[doogald]

Indeed. And, frankly, while I don't know the details of Nokia suing Apple, or Kodak suing Apple, if the grounds of the suit are baseless, then I'd be opposed to them. I don't think lawyers and lawsuits improve the technology we use.

To be fair, you do not know that Apple's suits (there are actually two of them) are baseless, either. And (not commenting on this particular situation; just more broadly) one could also argue that companies stealing patented ideas does nothing to improve technology, either. Companies will be less likely to spend a lot on new technology if they know that it will be mere months before their competitors steal their ideas.

[Macguy59]

The story is about Apple suing HTC and Jason was critical of Apple so I guess it was no surprise that someone would respond with snark about Microsoft and Ballmer.


Well hello Randy :) I have no problem with Jason or anyone else being "critical" of Apple. What I have a problem with is the extra curricular venom under the guise of "Thoughts"

Personally, I think Microsoft should partner up with HTC and even Google, all three should dig into their patent chest, and blast back at Apple. Might as well make this a real throw-down.

Jason isn't stupid. That was absolutely framed to elicit a reaction and today I decided to oblige. I continue to be amazed at how long Vincent lasted :p

[Sven Johannsen]

The paper dump is an obvious ploy. It keeps the competition busy trying to dig through it all instead of focusing on new development.
No. They have lawyers to plod through all the drivel, while the rest of the company marches on. And how do they pay for the lawyers? Higher prices for the consumers. In the end, the only benefit will be to the lawyers. Aren't they the ones who wrote the patent laws, BTW?

[Dyvim]

Nice graphic here from NYT blog showing just who's suing who in the mobile device space.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/an-explosion-of-mobile-patent-lawsuits/

[Jason Dunn]

"We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas."
Steve Jobs, 1996

Hahaha...great quote! El Jobso used to be the "fight the power" type, and now look at where he's ended up. He's the type of guy he used to resent. :rolleyes:

[Janak Parekh]

Well hello Randy :) I have no problem with Jason or anyone else being "critical" of Apple. What I have a problem with is the extra curricular venom under the guise of "Thoughts" Are you kidding? Given how much Jason dislikes Steve Jobs, I thought this was an extremely well-written post by him, and hardly venomous (lame humor aside ;)). I'm as much an Apple user as anyone else, but I think this is an extremely stupid move on Apple's part. Legal? Sure, but it makes them look like they're running scared from Android.

I'm not the only Apple fan that thinks this way, too. John Gruber has been pretty much against this whole move (http://daringfireball.net/2010/03/this_apple_htc_patent_thing) by Apple the moment it was announced.

--janak