Apple files another lawsuit as court battle with HTC heats up

Seeing the rate at which lawsuits are being filed in the mobile industry, we are starting to worry that soon there will be more people in the legal departments of smartphone manufacturing companies than in their R&D centers. Apple and HTC are stepping on the court ring once again as the Cupertino-based company has filled another complaint with the ITC.

Apple believes that 16 of HTC smartphones and the Flyer tablet infringe on its patents and want to have them banned from the US. The 17 Android-running devices are allegedly infringing on five Apple patents.

Interestingly, the latest batch of smartphones that HTC announced isn't among the alleged offenders. Obviously, Apple feels that HTC changed something in the Wildfire S, Desire S and Incredible S, Sensation and the EVO 3D production so they aren't violating its intellectual property.

This is the fourth lawsuit involving the two companies in the US alone. Last year Apple filled a couple of complaints, while HTC is also suing its competitor for patent infringement.

The HTC general counsel Grace Lei commented on the latest development of events by saying that: "HTC is dismayed that Apple has resorted to competition in the courts rather than the market place. HTC continues to vehemently deny all of Apple’s past and present claims against it and will continue to protect and defend its own intellectual property as it has already done this year."

Obviously both companies feel they have the justice on their side, but there can only be one winner here. We'll continue to keep an eye on the development on that and the other nearly fifty court-battles between the top smartphone manufacturers.

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