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HTC’s legal ruckus with Apple is coming to the UK — the Taiwanese phone maker is suing JobsCo in our own back garden, with a lawsuit filed in London, Bloomberg reports.
The nature of the lawsuit isn’t yet clear, but this latest strike comes just a few weeks after Apple scored a major win in the US, with the International Trade Commission ruling that HTC is infringing upon two of Apple’s patents.
If that ruling is upheld, it could mean an import ban on some HTC mobiles. Worse still, the patents in question are said to be core to the Android operating system, so a legal decision in Apple’s favour could set a precedent that makes it easier for Apple to take down other manufacturers that use Android, such as Samsung, LG or Sony Ericsson.
Google chairman Eric Schmidt has slammed Apple’s attacks, saying the iPhone-maker’s actions are borne out of jealousy, and that Google will provide support to HTC.
Apple is taking all-comers at the moment. And with a staggering $76.4bn in the bank, it can well afford the best lawyers in town. Earlier today Samsung made a deal with Apple not to sell the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia, with our fried-out-combie drivin’ mates forced to wait until the two companies have resolved their spat before the Honeycomb tablet goes on sale.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens now that one of these legal cases has come to the UK, and we’ll be following the drama like hawks. Hawks who have access to telephones and Google.
Should Apple be allowed to run amok, suing the socks off all and sundry? Are other manufacturers copying Apple? Place your thoughts in the comments section, or on our Facebook page, via the medium of a keyboard.
Update: We asked HTC for a comment, and it came back with the following: ‘We don’t comment on pending litigation. As a leading smart-phone innovator, we respect the intellectual property of others and will defend our own intellectual property as needed.’
