Yesterday, Apple sued HTC, alleging that the Taiwanese smartphone maker is violating 20 of Apple’s patents. Most of these patents are about the software, specifically the user interface. Highlights of these patents include diagrams detailing flick scrolling, and a swipe-to-answer feature.
No one doubts that the iPhone was the first gadget with these kind of gestures—or at least was the first device to popularize them (and for the US market at that). But Popular Science figures that Apple’s lawsuit is preparation for an eventual showdown with Google over its Android OS, another mobile platform that relies heavily on touch gesture controls.
Bottom line: Apple’s got a problem with Google’s Android, its strongest smartphone rival. While Windows Mobile phones are included in the suit, the majority of the disputed infringements are found in HTC’s numerous Android phones, from the original G1 to their current offerings.
It would be reasonable to assume that Apple’s suit is all about a piece of the action. Companies file lawsuits against competitors, not necessarily to punish them for violating patents. The point is mostly to negotiate cross-licensing swap deals, where companies exchange technologies and promise to stay away from the courts.
But Apple’s lawsuit seems more serious than that, based on the following Steve Jobs’ quote. Or is this just PR posturing?
“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… We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours.”
Some observers have lamented Apple’s stance as another example of patent-trolling, where a company seeks to profit from the work of others. HTC and Android OS devices in general do take a cue or two from the interface of the iPhone OS. But if these features were created independently, without any corporate espionage whatsoever, does Apple’s patent suit have any merit?
Claiming iPhone Infringement, Apple Fires Patent Suit at HTC, Warning Shot Across Android’s Bow
Apple sues HTC for alleged infringement of 20 iPhone patents
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