Apple iPhone Maker Suing HTC for Violating Patents

As the smart phone market gets smoldering hot, it appears that HTC may have borrowed, or closely copied, some of Apple’s patents. HTC denies it of course, but both smart phone makers are in a significantly tough market for world-wide Smart Cell Phone sales. Yes, even here in the US.

These lawsuits are quite serious, and it’s interesting that Apple chose HTC to go after, in that the company is based in Taiwan. If it wins would this cause HTC to no longer offer their top smart phone models such as the HD2 Leo, which really does look and feel like an Apple 3GS, and is about to be marketed in the USA. Does this mean Apple is trying to preempt this introduction?

The question is does HTC’s TouchFlow or HTC Sense technology really violate Apple’s patents? Apple thinks so, and Steve Jobs has gone out of his way to make light of it, demanding healthy competition to continue, but for companies to compete, using their own technology without stealing it from Apple. If the HTC Leo or HD2 is coming to the United States it will most likely be sold in conjunction with T-mobile carrier’s 3G wireless program.

Some have speculated that Windows 7 Phones had trouble working with a certain HTC smart phone, and the software had trouble negotiating the registry. If so, did HTC borrow something from Apple’s OS, or is Apple angry that the HTC models at the upper end look, feel, operate the same and are basically clones? The battle lines in the smart phone space appear to be headed to court, the US International Patent Court for starters.