In what some see as a stunning admission of being crowded out of many of the smart phone markets, and perhaps as a preemptive strike against the upcoming Google Nexus 1, Apple and NeXT have filed suit against Asian smart phone maker HTC, alleging all sorts of patent infringement and the like. Public opinion on this is mixed, but many of the industry pundits are pointing to this as frustration on Apple’s part as they risk losing their dominant position in the smart phone market.
“We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement. “We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours.”
However, it should be pointed out that the patents in question are entirely software related, and those sorts of patents aren’t always the strongest. Further, Apple appears to have unleashed the nuclear option as well, adding 10 more items to a list submitted to the ITC (International Trade Commission), attempting to shortcut the process and perhaps gain some sort of blockage against HTC phones coming into the US.
At the end of the day, Apple may or may not win this lawsuit and ITC action, but there is no doubt that many potential customers will now see them as bullies rather than innovators.
