HTC responds to Apple's patent lawsuit, will 'fully defend itself'
By Nilay Patel 
posted March 18th 2010 12:01AM
posted March 18th 2010 12:01AM
HTC Disagrees with Apple's Actions
Seattle – March 17, 2010 – HTC Corporation today outlined its disagreement with Apple's legal actions and reiterated its commitment to creating a portfolio of innovative smartphones that gives consumers a variety of choices. Founded in 1997 with a passion for innovation and a vision for how smartphones would change people's lives, HTC has continually driven this vision by consistently introducing award-winning smartphones with U.S. mobile operators.
"HTC disagrees with Apple's actions and will fully defend itself. HTC strongly advocates intellectual property protection and will continue to respect other innovators and their technologies as we have always done, but we will continue to embrace competition through our own innovation as a healthy way for consumers to get the best mobile experience possible," said Peter Chou, chief executive officer, HTC Corporation. "From day one, HTC has focused on creating cutting-edge innovations that deliver unique value for people looking for a smartphone. In 1999 we started designing the XDA and T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition, our first touch-screen smartphones, and they both shipped in 2002 with more than 50 additional HTC smartphone models shipping since then."
The industry has recognized HTC's contributions through a variety of awards including Fast Company's 2010 Top 50 Most Innovative Companies and MIT Technology Review's 2010 50 Most Innovative Companies. The GSMA also recently awarded the HTC Hero as the "Best Phone of 2009." Some of HTC's technology firsts include:
First Windows PDA (1998)
First Windows Phone (June 2002)
First 3G CDMA EVDO smartphone (October 2005)
First gesture-based smartphone (June 2007)
First Google Android smartphone (October 2008)
First 4G WIMAX smartphone (November 2008)
In 2009, HTC launched its branded user experience, HTC Sense. HTC Sense is focused on putting people at the center by making phones work in a more simple and natural way. This experience was fundamentally based on listening and observing how people live and communicate.
"HTC has always taken a partnership-oriented, collaborative approach to business. This has led to long-standing strategic partnerships with the top software, Internet and wireless technology companies in the industry as well as the top U.S., European and Asian mobile operators," said Jason Mackenzie, vice president of HTC America. "It is through these relationships that we have been able to deliver the world's most diverse series of smartphones to an even more diverse group of people around the world, recognizing that customers have very different needs."
For more information on HTC's history of innovation, please visit: www.htc.com/history.
Seattle – March 17, 2010 – HTC Corporation today outlined its disagreement with Apple's legal actions and reiterated its commitment to creating a portfolio of innovative smartphones that gives consumers a variety of choices. Founded in 1997 with a passion for innovation and a vision for how smartphones would change people's lives, HTC has continually driven this vision by consistently introducing award-winning smartphones with U.S. mobile operators.
"HTC disagrees with Apple's actions and will fully defend itself. HTC strongly advocates intellectual property protection and will continue to respect other innovators and their technologies as we have always done, but we will continue to embrace competition through our own innovation as a healthy way for consumers to get the best mobile experience possible," said Peter Chou, chief executive officer, HTC Corporation. "From day one, HTC has focused on creating cutting-edge innovations that deliver unique value for people looking for a smartphone. In 1999 we started designing the XDA and T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition, our first touch-screen smartphones, and they both shipped in 2002 with more than 50 additional HTC smartphone models shipping since then."
The industry has recognized HTC's contributions through a variety of awards including Fast Company's 2010 Top 50 Most Innovative Companies and MIT Technology Review's 2010 50 Most Innovative Companies. The GSMA also recently awarded the HTC Hero as the "Best Phone of 2009." Some of HTC's technology firsts include:
First Windows PDA (1998)
First Windows Phone (June 2002)
First 3G CDMA EVDO smartphone (October 2005)
First gesture-based smartphone (June 2007)
First Google Android smartphone (October 2008)
First 4G WIMAX smartphone (November 2008)
In 2009, HTC launched its branded user experience, HTC Sense. HTC Sense is focused on putting people at the center by making phones work in a more simple and natural way. This experience was fundamentally based on listening and observing how people live and communicate.
"HTC has always taken a partnership-oriented, collaborative approach to business. This has led to long-standing strategic partnerships with the top software, Internet and wireless technology companies in the industry as well as the top U.S., European and Asian mobile operators," said Jason Mackenzie, vice president of HTC America. "It is through these relationships that we have been able to deliver the world's most diverse series of smartphones to an even more diverse group of people around the world, recognizing that customers have very different needs."
For more information on HTC's history of innovation, please visit: www.htc.com/history.
Good for you, HTC. We're rootin' for you. Don't forget you have two gorillas in your corner: one is named "common sense" and the other is named "Google".
@whySoSerious and don't forget the rest of us.
Apple, time to learn from google! "Don't be evil!"
I hope Apple loses, and loses badly.
@treats If most of the patents of Apple's got thrown out it would be quite an epic day.
@markca
I would just LOVE to see some patents revoked due to prior art or fear of causing stagnation in mobile development. LOL.
@whySoSerious
this is better than most drama on TV! my conscious on the left shoulder says HTC should prevail. BUT, the devilish right shoulder cheers for Apple to destroy HTC, bankrupt it in the process, and maybe even acquire the company to do it's manufacturing bidding for the next decade. now THAT would be the story you can Google about!!
@treats I AM WITH YOU ON THIS ONE. I WAS TO SEE THEM LOSE EVERY SINGLE LAW SUIT THAT THEY PUT FORTH. THE HTC TOUCH 6900 WAS OUT 2 YEARS BEFORE THE IPHONE. I WOULD LOVE IT IF ALL THE COMPANIES BANNED TOGETHER AND JUST BUM RUSHED APPLE WITH SUITS FOR ALL THEIR PATENTS.
I WANT TO SEE THE IPAD PAD BE A FLOP. I HOPE ALL THE ORDERS THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE GET RETURNED BECAUSE THE CUSTOMERS HAD NO IDEA THAT THEY JUST BOUGHT A OVER PRICED E-BOOK READER.
YOU HAVE TO GIVE IT JOBS THOUGH. I BET THAT MAN COULD TAKE A DUMP AND SLAP A APPLE LOGO ON IT AND THE FANBOYS WOULD BE IN LINE JUST TO HOLD IT.
@Appleblows
We are mad at Apple right now because they are being stupid and douchy. That doesn't make us Apple haters like you. So please, GTFO and STFU.
@whySoSerious sure!
@ashvala
Apple will shortly release its version of the Bible (called iBelieve) wherein Apple actually invents the tree from which Eve got her first Apple. All was made by Steve the creator.
GO HTC.
@Steve B
Apple hating is fun and is good for you. CrApple is such an easy target. Their products are all underfunctioned and overpriced. Their hype is massive and they go around with such a self-rightous demeanor, thnking that they are the one true way.
The truth is that they are the eveil empire and they, imo, steal whatever they can from others. Even their OS is a freebie from UNIX.
@whySoSerious
Hasn't anyone started a Facebook protest group in support for HTC yet, like the whole Rage against the Machine campaign.
That would be awesome
@Darkroom
Fascism is right!
@ashvala "Don't be evil" is bullshit...
/s
that said, i'm just thinking that apple, in working with really only one design has potentially limited themselves to having to stick with that design. if they try to move away from the iphone look/style, chances are, someone will have already done it.
@whySoSerious
I guess it's time to change my facebook status from "I'm with Coco" to "I'm with HTC"
@rederikus U just made my day reading ur statement lol
@treats I hope the Supreme court rules against software patents in the Bilski case and then we don't have to hear about 3/4 of these stupid lawsuits.
@owen66 I am not an iphone developer, so im only going to guess that likely up till the point of the ipad coming out the development SDK probably didnt even know how to deal with differing screen resolutions, since they have stuck with the same resolution all along in the iphone.
Contrast that to MS's windows mobile platform that deals with all kinds of oddball screen resolutions and orientations.
Im still scratching my head on how apps designed for the ipad's resolution will be able to scale down to the iphone's resolution, your either going to be panning around, or all the buttons and text are going to be so small and unusable without having a tiny poker "aka stylus" that apple seems to be so against. Scaling up from the iphone will be no problem other than the screen real estate being wasted by buttons big enough to push with a balled up fist.
@whySoSerious The issue of big companies buying out ideas/people and taking credit is a different issue. And I concur, that Apple should lose on this lawsuit charge. Reactions: http://bit.ly/apple-v-htc-debacle
H! T! C!...H! T! C!....(WAVE)....H! T! C!...H! T! C!....
@brolin
I continue the WAVE
........H! T! C!...H! T! C!....(WAVE)....H! T! C!...H! T! C!....
LOL
@Aleem ........H! T! C!...H! T! C!....(WAVE)....H! T! C!...H! T! C!...
@Aleem ...H-T-C...H-T-C...H-T-C...H-T-C... (wwaaaAAAAAAVVvvvee)...H-T-C...H-T-C...H-T-C...H-T-C...H-T-C...H-T-C...
@markca C-C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER
@markca H! T! C!.... H! T! C! *wave* H! T! C!.... H! T! C!
@Frawley REKAERB OBMOC-C-C-C-C
@Alexpeegs http://pw0nd.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/combobreaker-500x781.jpg
@brolin
A yes, the Chant of Apple haters and pirates..
I love the chant and the wave, but in so many comments !!!
here you go all of it one comment..... H! T! C!...H! T! C!....(WAVE)....H! T! C!...H! T! C!...........H! T! C!...H! T! C!....(WAVE)....H! T! C!...H! T! C!............H! T! C!...H! T! C!....(WAVE)....H! T! C!...H! T! C!......H-T-C...H-T-C...H-T-C...H-T-C... (wwaaaAAAAAAVVvvvee)...H-T-C...H-T-C...H-T-C...H-T-C...H-T-C...H-T-C...
and please nobody follow anymore, we all love HTC and it's proven
@brolin
H! T! C!...H! T! C!....(WAVE)....H! T! C!...H! T! C!....
H! T! C!...H! T! C!....(WAVE)....H! T! C!...H! T! C!....
@Wesscoast
Id rather be a pirate than a fruit.
@Oskiee y'arr. Let's all go have a granny smith!
I hope HTC release a handset that infringes every single Apple patent just to rub it in their face.
@Seven
Prior art! Patents are not art, art is copyright! Totally different Intellectual Properties that are governed differently.
@MacArtStyle
You fail
Yawn both compaines.... Yay Microsoft!
I'm glad HTC isn't going to let APPLE bully its way to stay up on top. I'm hoping APPLE goes down hard.
It would be great for HTC, Google, and the future of smartphones
@Kalian
Prior art! Patents are not art, art is copyright! Totally different Intellectual Properties that are governed differently.
@Kalian
Patents are granted on first to idea/market merit and implementation. Prior to the iPhone, no handset manufacturer had multitouch. Yes, it did exist in experiments and there are patents out there from companies other than Apple. But patents are given based on product categories. Apple was First to file patents on Multitouch on smartphones. Do you remember what the cell phone options were before the iPhone came along?
@MacArtStyle
Of course they don't remember, all they care about is the flavor of the week. Like when Winmo 7 was announced they were all ready to drop Android.. They hate the fact that the underdog (Apple) is winning, they fail to even acknowledge the fact that they would still be running around on their palm treo's (great phone 5 years ago). None of them would have Chrome, Web OS or Winmo 7 (as it is now).
As far as multi touch "pinch to zoom" goes their are several alternatives,
1- Scroll wheel on the side of the device.
2- the zoom bar at the bottom of the tilt 2
3- a spiral motion on the screen, clockwise zooms in counter clockwise zooms out
wow I have just proven that HTC doesn't HAVE TO rip off Apples patents in order to zoom in on Google Maps
@MacArtStyle
Option of having MMS and multitasking? Oh shoot sorry, those are apple "improvements" on other "lesser" phones. Damn would I trade my mms for some slick unlock sliders! -.-
@Mentat what sort of fawning fanboi would call Apple an underdog? Do you not only drink the kool aid but bath in it and use it as a scent?
@MacArtStyle Patents have nothing whatsoever to do with implementation or markets. In general you file a patent as soon as you have the idea - not after you implement it.
More importantly with this is that "prior art" does matter with patent law. In patent law, the term "prior art" does not refer to pretty pictures. It refers to prior public descriptions of the "invention" in question. Regarding multi-touch, Wayne Westerman's 1999 PhD dissertation is the prior art. Anyone is free to implement anything that is described in that paper. Now, had he or the university filed for a patent on the contents _before_ submitting the thesis, we would have a different situation. It does not matter that Westerman is now at Apple via FingerWorks. He published the paper before filing the patent. End of story.
Having worked at a medical device company where patents were very important - as well as publishing methods in academic journals - any time we were going to publish a paper, we would go through it carefully and make sure that any patentable ideas were filed before publication.
I'm actually surprised that the University that Westerman was at didn't review and file. Many Universities have fairly aggressive patent teams that review submissions for potential patents.
team HTC!!!
Do it to it HTC. Kick that Apple bully in the nads.
Yay for HTC! They have every right to defend themselves. The law suit is a charade, and Apple's way of admitting they have something to worry about in HTC/Google!!
@HighestRanked2 what are u smoking dude? innovations WHERE they use intel parts for there pcs. they use a cortex 8 hybrid chip for there ipad wheres the innovation? the os? wait u mean unix? wait u mean they slaped a pritty gui over the front? o yea thats real innovation
Man havent heard any stories about in a while, be right back
*runs to purchase high dollar popcorn and soda*
@Atkins Damn anyone have 500 bucks?
Thanks HTC, I was waiting for that answer, give a lesson to them, I am sure Google will help. If I were Apple, I would be praying for MERCY.