Last year, Apple launched a patent infringement lawsuit against HTC for violating some 20-odd bits of intellectual property. The International Trade Commission stepped in to investigate, and though a judgement on that complaint is set for August 5, Apple has filed at least one more last week. The details of the complaint aren’t disclosed, but as usual, Apple is seeking to block HTC imports until it’s all settled.
You might recall that HTC recently acquired S3 graphics for their rich patent portfolio, which could also pose a significant threat to Apple, who had been caught infringing on their patents. That said, they could be on the receiving end of more patent litigation from HTC, which makes me think Apple’s ongoing pursuit is just poking the bear. I’m curious to see the extent of the new complaints, and if they’re strong enough to keep HTC tied up in courts for yet another year, or maybe even result in some royalties being paid.
Earlier this summer, Apple lost a patent case defending against Nokia, but for their sake, here’s hoping their legal offense is a bit more effective.Anyone taking bets on how this case will wrap up?
[via Bloomberg]