HTC has today gone on the offensive against Apple, which on March 2 filed suit against the handset maker alleging intellectual property violations on 20 patents related to iPhone hardware and interface technology.
“HTC disagrees with Apple’s actions and will fully defend itself,” said HTC CEO Peter Chou. “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.”
The press release also outlines several HTC innovations, including the first Windows PDA in 1998, the first Windows Mobile phone in 2002, the first EV-DO phone in 2005 and the first 3.5″ color touchscreen in 2002. The company also detailed many of its industry accolades, such as positions on Fast Company’s 2010 Top 50 Most Innovative Companies and the MIT Technology Review’s 2010 50 Most Innovative Companies listings.
“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, VP 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.”
Despite the bluster and bravado, the release says nothing of how HTC intends to refute the patents Apple has outlined in its case. At the very least, we now know that HTC fully intends to bring its portfolio and experience to bear in what will surely be a protracted battle that could have a considerable effect on the smartphone market.
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