March 2nd, 2010
Apple’s asking for a permanent injunction, which would bar HTC from importing or selling phones that use these patents, along with triple damages with maximum interest. Some of the patents are fairly broad, like “unlocking a device by performing gestures on an unlock image,” which seems to cover like every touchscreen phone ever. The lawsuit was filed concurrently with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and in U.S. District Court in Delaware.
Apple filed a lawsuit against HTC, claiming the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer infringed on 20 patents. CEO Steve Jobs, in a news release, said:
“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.”
We’re awaiting official comment from HTC and are taking a look at the lawsuit. Full press release from Apple is after the break. Stay tuned.
Apple reinvented the mobile phone in 2007 with its revolutionary iPhone, and did it again in 2008 with its pioneering App Store, which now offers more than 150,000 mobile applications in over 90 countries. Over 40 million iPhones have been sold worldwide.