HTC filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court of Delaware alleging that Cupertino-based Apple Inc. is infringing on three of its patents. The patents are related to Apple’s iPhone, iPad and Mac computers, and HTC is seeking triple damages for willful infringement and compensatory damages. The two companies have been locked in legal battles for months, but we’re a little surprised at HTC’s move given the company recently said it was disappointed in “Apple’s constant attempts at litigations instead of competing fairly in the market.” Apple first sued HTC for patent infringement in March and a judge with the United States International Trade Commission found HTC guilty of infringing on two of Apple’s patents in July. HTC said that it will appeal the ITC ruling and has argued that it has a strong case against the iPhone maker.
UPDATE: HTC’s press release is now included after the break.
HTC Sues Apple for Patent Infringement
Complaint outlines three HTC patents infringed by Apple products
SEATTLE, Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — HTC Corporation today took legal action against Apple Inc., filing a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) and the U.S. District Court of Delaware for patent infringement by Apple’s Mac computer product lines as well Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod product lines.
“We are taking this action against Apple to protect our intellectual property, our industry partners, and most importantly our customers that use HTC phones,” said Grace Lei, general counsel, HTC Corporation. “This is the 3rd case before the ITC in which Apple is infringing our intellectual property. Apple needs to stop its infringement of our patented inventions in its products.”
The patents at issue cover a range of functionality embodied in Apple’s Mac computer and mobile devices that are essential to user experience, including: 1) Wi-Fi capability that allows users to wirelessly network multiple devices at home, at work, or in public, and 2) processor communication technology that enables a seamless integration of a PDA and a cellular phone into a single device providing users with a true smartphone experience. The patents at issue are U.S. Patent Nos. 7,417,944, and 7,672,219 and 7,765,414.
The case is Certain Electronic Devices With Communication Capabilities, Components Thereof, and Related Software.
