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End to HTC / Apple patent disputes

Apple started this with their patent trolling.

They've gotten an edict on US HTC phones for a fight they started in 2010 over a patent that is prior art for Microsoft and against whom they've taken no action, and for very good reason.

It's a feature that you'll find alive and well on your Gmail app but now can't find in HTC Mail. And in two and a half years, they've not lifted a finger against Google on this either.

HTC retaliated with Google's help because they had no other choice.

Sorry compadre, but I hate the memes going around about this.

When Android was the underdog and Apple started patent trolling, this forum was filled with oh noes, HTC stole.

When the countersuits started the rhetoric changed to why can't we all get along.

There is no getting along with a bully. They brought this fight, they refused to settle prior to the countersuit defense. And as a Taiwanese company, HTC found no relief in our justice.

So I cannot buy that maybe they both learned the same lesson.

HTC learned what we all know. You smack a bully back hard enough and he'll want peace.
 
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Apple started this with their patent trolling.

They've gotten an edict on US HTC phones for a fight they started in 2010 over a patent that is prior art for Microsoft and against whom they've taken no action, and for very good reason.

It's a feature that you'll find alive and well on your Gmail app but now can't find in HTC Mail. And in two and a half years, they've not lifted a finger against Google on this either.

HTC retaliated with Google's help because they had no other choice.

Sorry compadre, but I hate the memes going around about this.

When Android was the underdog and Apple started patent trolling, this forum was filled with oh noes, HTC stole.

When the countersuits started the rhetoric changed to why can't we all get along.

There is no getting along with a bully. They brought this fight, they refused to settle prior to the countersuit defense. And as a Taiwanese company, HTC found no relief in our justice.

So I cannot buy that maybe they both learned the same lesson.

HTC learned what we all know. You smack a bully back hard enough and he'll want peace.
Thanks for the additional information. The article didn't really go into the countersuit, so I was worried that HTC just caved and decided to pay Apple a fee per device or something.
 
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Thanks for the additional information. The article didn't really go into the countersuit, so I was worried that HTC just caved and decided to pay Apple a fee per device or something.

If they did, that would have been fair enough. Some days you get the bear, some days the bear gets you.

Apple refused licensing offers before this.

I pay a part of my phone purchases to Microsoft for their licensing deal. That's the way it goes.

But until now, Apple fans have gone viral over what HTC stole, regardless of the facts, and it's hurt HTC's reputation.

I really hope that Apple's willingness to bargain marks the end of this nonsense in court.
 
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If they did, that would have been fair enough. Some days you get the bear, some days the bear gets you.

Apple refused licensing offers before this.

I pay a part of my phone purchases to Microsoft for their licensing deal. That's the way it goes.

But until now, Apple fans have gone viral over what HTC stole, regardless of the facts, and it's hurt HTC's reputation.

I really hope that Apple's willingness to bargain marks the end of this nonsense in court.
Yeah, sometimes you have to take the best deal you can get, but I dread the day that Apple gets paid for every Android phone (and tablet) sold.

I also hate to see Apple being successful with the strategy of bleeding a company slowly through lawsuits until they settle, because nobody has deep enough pockets to out-wait Apple, except maybe Google.

But we don't know the details, maybe that's not even what's happening.

At least Apple is dealing, I guess that's progress. Even if its because they see a new revenue stream. Could be a whole change of strategy for them.
 
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The way I see it, this signifies one of two things... Apple is no longer worried about HTC's competition, and is settling so they can focus on the one manufacturer who is truly threatening them, or there is finally a realization from Apple that this massive litigation streak in the mobile industry is not going anywhere, and is only taking money away from development... I soooo hope its option 2...
 
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The way I see it, this signifies one of two things... Apple is no longer worried about HTC's competition, and is settling so they can focus on the one manufacturer who is truly threatening them, or there is finally a realization from Apple that this massive litigation streak in the mobile industry is not going anywhere, and is only taking money away from development... I soooo hope its option 2...

Option 3, they could have been facing the possibility that their products would have to be changed or made not for sale here, causing investor panic, like they kindly did for HTC.

This last year, HTC was trying to get one or more Mac models from coming into the US over an HTC patent, and nearly succeeded. This could have all been the result of that action.

Cook said he would carry out the policies of his predecessor. HTC is not nobody, despite Samsung's stellar sales. HTC made the first Android. Losing HTC to Apple with Google doing nothing would have sent a message to the other makers: this could happen to you. That's exactly why Google stepped in and helped.

Google bought Motorola for their patents and their intellectual property. Some of these Apple patents have gone unchallenged but are prior art for Motorola, and the Apple-Google-rola court cases have been heating up as well, with Apple insisting they'd pay $1/unit for FRAND patents and the courts seeing that as a nose-thumbing.

Apple has three ways to get back on top - innovate beyond the competition, the competition loses innovations, or the competition gets hamstrung. Being able to screw either HTC or Motorola significantly would be enough. Samsung investors were not happy last year until their CEO assured them that Samsung's Bada OS was alive and well and that they'd turn to that if dealing with Google became a problem.

Apple's been playing dominos and has been successful in getting people to believe the fairy tale that others actually stole from them.
 
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The EU seems to be after Apple. Any country could decide to ban, and China could make Apple's life miserable. Witness MS and the IE debacle.

Neowin - Where unprofessional journalism looks better - Neowin (Apple and legal fees)

How America does business doesn't fly all over the world. Others see things differently as they should. With global economy, companies need to stop behaving like 800 lb gorillas.

Apple has gotten too big for its britches. Literally. I can't believe they don't have some department checking on usage, sources of some of the graphics, etc. It seems like the vendetta of being right is blinding those that make decisions and they are ignoring any warnings. Or think they are Caesar's wife.

Apple paid
 
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I don't think Apple is done litigating. They just threw Ice Cream Sandwich in their latest ongoing war with Samsung...directly bringing Google into the fight (and not Googlerola). If they can nail down ICS, JB is just a quick hop away. That would be a crushing blow to Android.

However, the USPTO is finally starting to evaluate some of the patents they gave to Apple and is rejecting some of them. I think this is pressure from judgments assigned by international courts (which are largely against Apple's favor) as showing these patents/arguments as ridiculous. I expect that, eventually, these trials and patents will be thrown out or overturned to save face. Apple touted that the German and US courts sided with them when forced to apologize by the UK courts. But if you count the tallies, a larger number rejected the exact same claim. Eventually it's going to make American courts look like they are protecting an "American" product (even though Samsung makes most of the iPhone's components until very recently where Apple is trying to vary their suppliers).
 
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I am really excited to see this news. I know this is far from the end, but it is progress in my eyes.
I think (or hope) that crApple has changed the direction of their focus with their change in leadership. We all know Jobs wanted nothing more than to crush Android, and may have if he was around long enough to do so, but hopefully Cook realized that was not in "the best way to behave" when you're in control of so much money and power; something I truly was amazed that being a Buddhist, Jobs did not see.
 
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From another thread -

Estimate of 180 to 280 by undisclosed sources who can't verify if that's the difference after Apple pays HTC or if that money will turn around on the books and go out to HTC.

Pardon my cynicism, but this comes from the blogosphere and the source being quoted hands out investment advice.

Let's imagine the following headline -

Analyst Can't Figure Out What To Tell Investors He Advised To Buy Apple On His Previous Report Stating That Apple Would Win Every Case

Yeah.

Even if HTC decided to pay, nothing to see here.
 
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Some details are coming out. Apparently, HTC is paying Apple $6-$8 per phone sold.

HTC likely paying Apple between $6 and $8 per phone sold | MobileSyrup.com
That is an outrageous amount of money if true. That's what I was scared of. No wonder Apple called off the dogs for that kind of money. Apple hasn't come to their senses about the lawsuits, that is a flat-out surrender by HTC, and sets a precedent for every Android manufacturer to end up with a similar deal. So that reveals Apples strategy; get paid no matter what phone you buy, and they don't have to worry about any pesky judge or jury going off script. I for one don't see this as good news. I know that HTC doesn't have the deep pockets to fight in court forever like Apple does, but Google should have helped out more.
 
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