Apple Reportedly Disrupting iPhone Competitors With Legal Threats Backed Up by HTC Suit

[MacRumors]

Fortune reports on a new research note from Oppenhiemer & Co.'s Yair Reiner claiming that Apple in January began high-level talks with major phone manufacturers expressing its displeasure with what it considers to be infringement of its iPhone-related intellectual property. According to the report, Apple's recent lawsuit against HTC has served to back up the company's position in these talks and has sent competitors scrambling to deal with the threat. Reiner writes:

Starting in January, Apple launched a series of C-Level discussions with tier-1 handset makers to underscore its growing displeasure at seeing its iPhone-related IP [intellectual property] infringed. The lawsuit filed against HTC thus appears to be Apple's way of putting a public, lawyered-up exclamation point on a series of blunt conversations that have been occurring behind closed doors.

Our checks also suggest that these warning shots are meaningfully disrupting the development roadmaps for would-be iPhone killers. Rival software and hardware teams are going back to the drawing board to look for work-arounds. Lawyers are redoubling efforts to gauge potential defensive and offensive responses. And strategy teams are working to chart OS strategies that are better hedged.

Fortune's report offers more detail on Reiner's description of how events have unfolded, building from Apple's January 2009 promise to aggressively defend its iPhone intellectual property to the company's decision to press its position as other multi-touch handsets have begun to come to market.

Reiner also notes that much of the conflict has occurred with companies utilizing Google's Android operating system, which is seen as Apple's true target. In response, Microsoft has reportedly begun seizing the opportunity by pushing forward with promotion of its Windows Phone operating system and patent portfolio, indicating that it is willing to stand closely with its partner handset manufacturers in any intellectual property dispute.

Article Link: Apple Reportedly Disrupting iPhone Competitors With Legal Threats Backed Up by HTC Suit

[allpar]

Hard to argue -- they have copyrights and patents that appear to have been ignored.

[amac4me]

This is clearly targeted at Google's Android. When Jobs demo'd the original iPhone in January 2007, he stated:

"We filed for over 200 patents for all the inventions in iPhone and we intend to protect them"

[goobot]

its there fault. make your own tec.

[alywa]

While I generally don't like lawsuits like this (it stifles innovation and competition), I do get where they are coming from. Plus, it's hard to ignore the precedent given apples innovations in Mac OS, only to have them stolen by MS with windows. That lawsuit didn't go so well, but it was filed many years after the fact.

Anyway, it seems like everybody is suing everybody. This makes some strange bedfellows between Google and Apple. HTC is a proxy war.

[Stella]

Originally Posted by goobot

its there fault. make your own tec.

Multi-touch has been demoed before back in 70s / 80s , and therefore depending on that implementation - may make Apple's multitouch patents prior art.

The validity of Apple's patents will have to be tested in court.

[vvebsta]

oh no I really hope they aren't gonna focus on this instead of making a better iphone for may/june... common Apple I want a new iphone!

[neuregulin]

It is just natural.... this will happen sooner or later, not particularly evil per se.

Just like you put too much rats in a cage, eventually they will bite each other...

To us, it is good (not if you work for Apple or any other phone company)..... we will be able to make our choices....

Nothing will be perfet (ever)... so, just pick what ever pleases your eye/ear/mind.

Move on people, it is just a piece of gadget.... we live without it for most of human history, and doing fine.

[theBB]

It might be better if we got rid of patent system completely. As it stands right now, it rewards innovation, but it hiders it as well. Overall, I doubt it adds much value. Of course, it is financially very rewarding for lawyers, which means a big powerful political lobby to argue against it.

[gwangung]

Originally Posted by Stella

Multi-touch has been demoed before back in 70s / 80s , and therefore depending on that implementation -

Well, duh.

Too many would-be lawyers forget the basis of patent and copyright law - ideas are free, but specific expressions of that idea are always protected.

Doesn't matter a bit if multi-touch has been around a long while; if Apple developed a clear, unique way of implementing it, then it has a solid hold on its patents.

[bks691]

Apple will end up buying htc with petty drawer cash, and add another company too that of which they have consumed

[backdraft]

I wouldn't be surprised if Apple sues HP next: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscente...ples_ipad.html

Ultimately it might end up Apple vs M$ in court, who knows!

[Erwin-Br]

I'll see how this 'll play out. But it's personally turning me away from Apple, no matter how legally entitled they are to sue the pants off of the competition.

I wish Apple would spend all this negative energy on good things like new Pro models and their software lineup.

[yg17]

Oh, **** you Apple. I hope the DOJ goes after them.

[BornAgainMac]

Let the courts decide. I think Apple is still sore about the Windows thing from the 90's.

[Stella]

Originally Posted by gwangung

Well, duh.

Too many would-be lawyers forget the basis of patent and copyright law - ideas are free, but specific expressions of that idea are always protected.

Doesn't matter a bit if multi-touch has been around a long while; if Apple developed a clear, unique way of implementing it, then it has a solid hold on its patents.

Which is *exactly* what I said:
"therefore depending on that implementation -"

[miketcool]

Sorry Apple, please forgive me, I multi-touched myself today. I will now be doing everything in life using only one finger at a time...

[NT1440]

Originally Posted by Cask

I won't even try to argue with all the fanboyism here, it is really really fun reading all the blind sheep defending Apple no matter what they do.

If they have patents that are being infringed on why the hell should they not defend them?

[Darkroom]

apple's tier-1 lameness has breached far beyond C-Level.

[jo0]

why crush competition that can't really even compete?

[appleguy123]

Originally Posted by vvebsta

oh no I really hope they aren't gonna focus on this instead of making a better iphone for may/june... common Apple I want a new iphone!

You don't think Apple's lawyers also develop iPhone, do you?

[NT1440]

So is there only outrage when Apple does this? I haven't really seen any dismay over Kodaks business plan of staying afloat, sue everyone that infringes.

[NorrisKillsKids]

I don't see the problem here. I find it hard to hate on Apple or cheer for them when I read this article. It is what it is. If it is decided that they are legally correct then that's the law, if they lose whatever lawsuit they have going on then they will lose and deal with it.

Not understanding the finger pointing at apple fanboys. Apple isn't banning competition or anything, if this were the other way around you better believe they'd be suing apple for copying whatever patents they have.

[DaveSW]

Originally Posted by Stella

Multi-touch has been demoed before back in 70s / 80s , and therefore depending on that implementation - may make Apple's multitouch patents prior art.

The validity of Apple's patents will have to be tested in court.

And I'm sure Apple's lawyers have thought about all that.

[gwangung]

Originally Posted by Stella

Which is *exactly* what I said:
"therefore depending on that implementation -"

Which puts you in the small minority of folks who actually know what they're talking about (you must admit, there are so many around here who are proud to show how much they don't know....)