HTC is convinced it can counter a lawsuit brought against it earlier this month by Apple, and will use every means at its disposal to fight back.
Eaerlier this month Apple sued HTC for infringing on 20 of its patents related to the iPhone's user interface, underlying architecture and hardware. The company filed the action on March 2 with the U.S. International Trade Commission and U.S. District Court in Delaware.
"We feel confident in our innovation and our ability to defend ourselves in this case," Jason Mackenzie, vice president for HTC's U.S. operations told Reuters in an interview. "HTC strongly disagrees with Apple's actions. We plan to use all the legal tools we have at our disposal to both defend ourselves and set the record straight."
Mackenzie declined to talk about the smartphone maker's legal strategy, but said HTC will be issuing a formal response within the next few weeks. Many analysts saw Apple's lawsuit as a veiled assault on Google, its rival in the mobile phone space and other areas. HTC makes phones running on both Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform and Google's Android OS. HTC has declined to talk about that aspect of the case and has not said if Google is providing any support.
A preview of HTC's possible legal defense was offered in a statement by the company, in which it defended its mobile innovations. HTC CEO Peter Chou said that "from day one, HTC has focused on creating cutting-edge innovations that deliver unique value for people looking for a smartphone." The company then pointed to a list of mobile firsts it has been responsible for, including the first gesture-based smartphone.
An Apple spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
For more:
- see this release
- see this Reuters article
- see this WSJ article (sub. req.)
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