Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
It's interesting that HTC still has not responded in any substantive way to Apple's claims, whereas Apple seems very clear about their own position. HTC gives the impression that they're running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to figure out what to do. Nor have they made any concrete mention of *their own* patents.

Is HTC claiming that they have patents on anything, or are they just claiming that they didn't infringe upon any of Apple's patents?

I am under the impression that HTC is just defending itself against Apple's claims.
 
We can say it all day. Apple's behavior during the last ~18 months has been worthy of contempt. And not just in terms of this HTC lawsuit, but on a bunch of different fronts. They are quickly alienating even some of their loyal customers, and I think they are just on the wrong path.

I bet you can find cites to back this up right? Apple's sales have consistently gone up!

I sincerely hope that the outcome of this lawsuit will be like a bucket of icy cold water on Apple's corporate head. Go HTC.
Yea right!
 
What's so great about the find? The patent infringements Apple's alleging are found within the suit. Furthermore, as it's already been pointed out, the application for the patent is years old.

The patent was granted this February. It is clear now that Apple was just waiting for this patent granted before filing the complaint with HTC.
 
Patents are only valid from 20 years from the filing date (or 17 years from the issue date for older patents). So being based on patents from the mid-to-late '70's makes no sense.

True. My mistake. Some of those patents are nonetheless old. I'll try to post examples.
 
A lot of you (probably the majority) show in your posts a deep, deep misunderstanding of how business (particularly in technology) actually works.

Corporations are in business to make money, regardless of what many of you think Google's (or Apple's) noble intentions are. Increase the amount of dollars that they have. Period. What's one of the best ways to increase your cash? By creating new, compelling things for the market to consume. The entire reason why we have seen innovation and new inventions pick up in the last century is the patenting system. Without it, there is no innovation! Because, without the patenting system to guarantee the profits from your invention, you won't make any money because everyone will copy your invention immediately! What is the point of developing something new if you can't profit from it!? There is no point, from the viewpoint of a corporation. And if you cannot make money, then you're not in business!

So all of you are crying that Apple should just innovate harder instead of enforcing their patents, because enforcing the patents will stifle innovation in the market. You're missing the entire point of the patent system! If the market operated in the way of your little fantasy world (where everyone creates new things and shares ideas and makes no money) then the world economy would collapse entirely. Eventually everyone would rely on everyone else, and nobody would create anything new.

It is much easier to assume that Apple is correct in these lawsuits at this time, because they have a large army of lawyers who are paid a lot of money to make sure of these things before bringing a suit forward. So, assuming that Apple is correct, and HTC is infringing on their patents (and unless you're a trained patent lawyer, you really have no friggin clue whatsoever), then you should be arguing for HTC to be innovating more. HTC should be trying to come up with new methods of doing things that are NOT like the iPhone's methods. This is where innovation in the market comes from, and this is what Apple originally did with the iPhone.

Flame all you want, but I'm right, and you're wrong.

--mAc
 
This lawsuit is more of an attack on andriod that htc. Just apple does not have the guts to sue the open handset allaince directly. If they did that it would become real ugly real quickly because apple would be trap in a lot of law suits. There are a lot of big players that are part of the allaince. Android is property of the open handset allaince.

I don't know if its "guts," but I am sure money has something to do with it. There must be something special about how HTC does Android that made them a target.
 
I bet you can find cites to back this up right? Apple's sales have consistently gone up!

Strong sales != positive perception of the company and the direction it's taking (Microsoft anyone?). Just look at all the negative commentary from the traditional Apple customers on this forum alone. This news on HTC's assertive response to Apple gets double of positive versus negative vote ratio. A 1.5 years ago this would have been un-precedented.

Even from the pure marketshare standpoint, the growth of iPhoneOS has stalled. Android has posted 4.3% market share increase during the last quarter while iPhoneOS went up by a mere 0.3%. Look it up.
 
Even from the pure marketshare standpoint, the growth of iPhoneOS has stalled. Android has posted 4.3% market share increase during the last quarter while iPhoneOS went up by a mere 0.3%. Look it up.

There are (were) far less Android phones than iPhones out there, a 0.3% for Apple could mean way more iPhones than a 4.3% for Android (depending on how much phones there are out there, so if anyone has the correct math be free to correct me).
 
Strong sales != positive perception of the company and the direction its taking (Microsoft anyone?). Just look at all the negative commentary from the traditional Apple customers on this forum alone. This news on HTC's assertive response to Apple gets double of positive versus negative vote ratio. A 1.5 years ago this would have been un-precedented.

Even from the pure marketshare standpoint, the growth of iPhoneOS has stalled. Android has posted 4.3% market share increase during the last quarter while iPhoneOS went up by a mere 0.3%. Look it up.

I agree with you somewhat. All companies lose their soul after achieving a certain size/market share. I think Apple is rapidly approaching that benchmark. I think it is still too early to tell how Apple will adjust to the rapid expansion they have been seeing over the last several years. Some course adjustment is needed though, and quick. I am a relatively new Mac user (going on 3 years now), and I have seen a lot of changes in that period of time that make me question the company's direction.

With that said, their product still kick's MS ass on so many levels, it is not even funny (yes, even the sacred Windows 7, I use it at work, it still sucks). So it will take a lot more bad decisions on Apple's part to drive me back to fighting the endless war with MS products.
 
They can't do it. They don't have what it takes to follow that business model. Volume, volume, volume! Spread as many phone models around on as many carriers as possible and throw the OS out to all takers.

so a volume volume volume is a bad business model for a hardware company?they would be stupid to follow the apple model
 
HTC Patent

So if HTC had hundreds of patents that the iPhone is supposedly violating, and their being sued for patent violation by Apple, why aren't they in turn suing Apple? Why isn't MS suing apple for the hundreds of patent violations?

HTC patent #7,508,412 - Portable electronic device and video conference system integrated with the same

My guess is that Apple really wants free access to this patent for the upcoming iPhone / 1.5 or 2nd gen iPad. Right now any forward facing camera for video conferencing would infringe on HTC's IP. So Apple sues HTC in the Feb/Mar timeframe to get a cross-licensing agreement in place for the summer launch of the new iPhone.
 
Strong sales != positive perception of the company and the direction it's taking (Microsoft anyone?). Just look at all the negative commentary from the traditional Apple customers on this forum alone. .

MacRumors is not indicative of the entire population of mac users. Not in the least. You need to give me solid numbers from a reliable source.
 
HTC patent #7,508,412 - Portable electronic device and video conference system integrated with the same

My guess is that Apple really wants free access to this patent for the upcoming iPhone / 1.5 or 2nd gen iPad. Right now any forward facing camera for video conferencing would infringe on HTC's IP. So Apple sues HTC in the Feb/Mar timeframe to get a cross-licensing agreement in place for the summer launch of the new iPhone.

No it wouldn't. Not even close:
1. A portable electronic device for video conferencing, the portable electronic device comprising: an image-capturing module for capturing a scene and generating first video data; a display module; and a wireless signal transceiver module, wherein, when the portable electronic device is connected to a computer through a transmission interface, and when the portable electronic device receives second video data and second audio data through the wireless signal transceiver module, the portable electronic device sends the second video data to the computer through the transmission interface, the second video data is displayed on a display of the computer, and the second video data and the second audio data come from a remote electronic device; wherein the portable electronic device sends the first video data to the remote electronic device through the wireless signal transceiver module, so as to hold a video conference; and wherein, when the portable electronic device is not connected to the computer, the portable electronic device is capable of displaying the first video data on the display module.
 
HTC patent #7,508,412 - Portable electronic device and video conference system integrated with the same

My guess is that Apple really wants free access to this patent for the upcoming iPhone / 1.5 or 2nd gen iPad. Right now any forward facing camera for video conferencing would infringe on HTC's IP. So Apple sues HTC in the Feb/Mar timeframe to get a cross-licensing agreement in place for the summer launch of the new iPhone.
I think we have a winner here.
 
I think we have a winner here.

"Winner" in the sense that it's completely incorrect? The patent requires videoconferencing while docked to a computer and transmitting streams to the docked computer. It is unwieldy and odd, and nothing Apple does would come close to infringing.
 
MacRumors is not indicative of the entire population of mac users. Not in the least. You need to give me solid numbers from a reliable source.

I don't need to give you anything. The negative vibe about Apple's recent direction has been more than apparent from recent news media, blogs, forums, and just talking to other people who use Apple products.
 
"Winner" in the sense that it's completely incorrect? The patent requires videoconferencing while docked to a computer and transmitting streams to the docked computer. It is unwieldy and odd, and nothing Apple does would come close to infringing.
I was more referring to underlying patents.
There may be something in HTC's portfolio that interests Apple.

As for your assumption that the device be "docked", that's not how I read it.

"device is connected to a computer through a transmission interface"

That could be any type of connection. Be it via wireless, BT, cell connection, you name it.
The connection itself is not fully defined.
It also doesn't explicitly say the modules cannot be contained in a single unit or device.

The vagueness leaves a lot open to interpretation.
 
"Winner" in the sense that it's completely incorrect? The patent requires videoconferencing while docked to a computer and transmitting streams to the docked computer. It is unwieldy and odd, and nothing Apple does would come close to infringing.

I believe you may have misread the last line of the patent - "wherein, when the portable electronic device is not connected to the computer, the portable electronic device is capable of displaying the first video data on the display module."

They covered both connected (docked in any way that allows the conference through the device to the computer) and unconnected (carried around with you by itself).
 
Competition is a good thing, I love my iPhone but would love other manufacturers force Apple to bring their A game on the next update. There hasn't been enough innovation since the 2G.

It doesn't matter. Steve Jobs feels aggrieved. This is not about money, but about his sense of honor being violated or something like that.
 
I believe you may have misread the last line of the patent - "wherein, when the portable electronic device is not connected to the computer, the portable electronic device is capable of displaying the first video data on the display module."

They covered both connected (docked in any way that allows the conference through the device to the computer) and unconnected (carried around with you by itself).

To infringe, ALL limitations must be present. An infringing device must exhibit that docked behavior.

And to the other poster, I was using "docked" as shorthand. And, no, the computer cannot be the same device as the phone.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.