They say all is fair in love and war , and the progressively bitter rivalry between Apple and other smartphone producer is most for certain descending into a warfare of the litigious variety . HTC on Wednesday announcedthat not only has it complained to the U.S. International Trade Commission that Apple is infringing on its patents , it ’s asking for a U.S. implication ban of iPhones , iPads , and iPods .
In its promulgation , HTC claim that Apple has conflict on five of its patent of invention , though it does n’t specifically mention which ones . HTC ’s North American frailty president , Jason Mackenzie , sidesteps the details by bring up the companionship ’s long amour in the roving space : “ As the pioneer of the original Windows Mobile PocketPC Phone Edition in 2002 and the first Android smartphone in 2008 , HTC think the industry should be get by tidy competition and innovation that offer consumer the best , most approachable wandering experiences possible . ”
It is crucial to note , however , that while HTC ’s headline say that it is suing Apple , the actual promulgation only refer that it has file a complaint with the ITC ; there ’s no mention of a causa .
HTC was for sure not motiveless . Apple kindle the first fusillade back in March , when it sued HTC for infringing on 20 of its iPhone - relate patent . Apple is also doing the lawsuit shuffle with Nokia , as the Finnish telephone manufacturing business took aim at Apple in December , 2009 and Apple returned fire a calendar month later on . Between those two call , both Nokia and Apple asked the ITC to ban the import of each other ’s pocketable gadgets . Nokia alsolaunched a second lawsuitagainst Cupertino last calendar week .
Nor is Apple the only roving operating system developer to wade into legal waters — Microsoft joined the fray last calendar month , though it eschewed a lawsuit and entered into a licensing agreement with HTC for some of the phone manufacturing business ’s patents . That ’s little surprisal , though , given the two companies ’ long - support family relationship . Microsoft , it seems , was felicitous than Apple to make peacefulness , not state of war , with HTC .
