This nightmare may become a reality. Apple tries to kill off the competition with a broad patent that could apply to almost any electronic device. Recent litigation may prevent HTC from selling its mobile devices in the US as a result of a preliminary lawsuit that found HTC guilty of infringing upon Apple’s patents. The patents infringed upon are as follows:
Namely HTC was found guilty of infringing on:
U.S. Patent No. 5,946,647: “A system and method causes a computer to detect and perform actions on structures identified in computer data.”
U.S. Patent No. 6,343,263: “A data transmission system having a real-time data engine for processing isochronous streams of data includes an interface device that provides a physical and logical connection of a computer to any one or more of a variety of different types of data networks.”
As shown above, the patents can be applied to almost any mobile device, tablet, or computer. Such a broad generalization of a system is troubling, and it brings into questions how this patent can affect other mobile manufacturers’ business in the US.
[HTCs continued loss] would be a huge blow to Android OS maker Google Inc. (GOOG). It could also bode ominously for Motorola and fellow Android handset maker Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd. (SEO:005930), who are currently being sued by Apple [1][2] on similar patents. While each of these cases is slightly different, a victory over HTC could lend credibility to Apple’s case against the remaining two top Android manufacturers.
A decision on whether to ban imports in the meantime is forthcoming and could be delivered within weeks. If the ITC grants Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction, virtually all HTC Android handset imports into the U.S. would cease.
However, there is still hope.
A crestfallen HTC vowed to keep fighting till the bitter end Grace Lei, general counsel for the Taoyuan, Taiwan-based company emailed Bloomberg, commenting, “[We will] vigorously fight these two remaining patents through an appeal before the ITC commissioners who make the final decision.”
Additionally, Morotola is also being sued by Apple, and they are putting up a fight which could nullify Apple’s existing claims. If Motorola succeeds, then HTC’s appeal would go through and this whole headache of an ordeal will finally be over.
Source: Dailytech.com
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Now that’s a nightmare. I know companies are always trying to get an advantage over their competitors, but I don’t like this tactic being used by Apple. If HTC, Motorola and Samsung all infringed on Apple’s patents, then they should be punished and/or fined. However, stopping them dead in their tracks is not good for anyone. Consumers deserve to have a choice. If Apple wipes out those companies in that corner of the market, not only would it cause for a monopoly of sorts in that market, but it will also give consumers very little selection. Is Apple so threatened by HTC and their other competitors that they feel the need to try to corner the market to remain successful?
Jobs should shove a few apples up his behinds along with the US patent system 🙂
According to these guys, Edison’s family should sue them for making telephones.