The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has issued the following statement, verbatim:
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has voted to institute an investigation of certain personal data and mobile communications devices and related software. The products at issue in this investigation relate to hardware and software used in mobile communication devices, including but not limited to cellular phones and smartphones.
The investigation is based on a complaint filed by Apple Inc., f/k/a Apple Computer, Inc. and NeXt Software, Inc. f/k/a NeXt Computer, Inc., both of Cupertino, CA, on March 2, 2010. The complaint alleges violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the United States and sale of certain personal data and mobile communications devices and related software that infringe patents asserted by the complainants. The complainants request that the USITC issue an exclusion order and a cease and desist order.
The USITC has identified the following as respondents in this investigation:
High Tech Computer Corp. a/k/a HTC Corp. of Taiwan; HTC America, Inc., of Bellevue, WA; and Exedea, Inc., of Houston, TX.
By instituting this investigation (337-TA-710), the USITC has not yet made any decision on the merits of the case. The USITC’s Chief Administrative Law Judge will assign the case to one of the USITC’s six administrative law judges (ALJ), who will schedule and hold an evidentiary hearing. The ALJ will make an initial determination as to whether there is a violation of section 337; that initial determination is subject to review by the Commission.
The USITC will make a final determination in the investigation at the earliest practicable time. Within 45 days after institution of the investigation, the USITC will set a target date for completing the investigation. USITC remedial orders in section 337 cases are effective when issued and become final 60 days after issuance unless disapproved for policy reasons by the U.S. Trade Representative within that 60-day period.
Source: USITC
MacDailyNews Take: What we wrote the day Apple filed suit against HTC holds true today: “A sickening chill just swept through the executive offices of many an iPhone wannabe. This time there’s no poorly-written contract signed by an unprepared sugared water salesbozo.”
• We’ve been pushing the state-of-the-art in every facet of design… We’ve been innovating like crazy for the last few years on this and we’ve filed for over 200 patents for all of the inventions in iPhone. And we intend to protect them. – Apple CEO Steve Jobs when unveiling iPhone, January 9, 2007
• We like competition as long as they don’t rip off our IP, in which case we will go after them. We will not stand for having our IP ripped-off and we will use any weapons at our disposal [to stop it]. – Apple COO Tim Cook, January 21, 2009
busted!
Well well well Eric, Read this and weep….
Ooooo… burn!
Apple only did this because Android has caught up in awareness with the iPhone. Studies show that more people are now interested in the Android platform. Apple is worried.
Let the Games begin. Let’s see what happens and how long it takes for Android to overtake iPhone… Probably by 2012.
@ Jody.
Absolutely correct.
Apple is worried that someone else is using their patents unlawfully.
I smell a conspiracy here. Maybe Eric is a Double agent, meant to keep google distracted to take many hits as possible. The question is who is he working for? Apple(comfy coffee w/jobs too comfy?) or Microsoft (eric and bill look like they could be cousins).
But more than likely these companies are just runned by a bunch of dumbf*cks.
@ Jody;
If you were to post your comments in Wiki, you’d be panned for unsubstantiated claims and “weasel words”.
Awww, why should I hold back?
Your post is unsubstantiated and weaselly, ’nuff said.
Yeah people are more interested in android because they have to play the game, which android do you have?
A) 1.5
B) 1.6
C) 2.0
D) 2.1
Apple threw a wrench in android sprockets with this lawsuit. Google and company don’t know what they can continue on with to deploy another update. Yeah Apple slowed them down, but this is brilliant strategic moves on their part, Android can over take Apple sure, but if you get out you will start to see the jealously of Android users because Developers don’t give a shit about android because they have to write their software 4x’s right now to make money, rather than one with iPhone OS.
@Jody
There is an obvious reason that Apple is suing HTC: the protection of their patents and their development investment.
You appear to believe that this is not a sufficiency reason to sue HTC and have proposed another reason, without anything to substantiate it.
Are you then of the view that no company should sue anyone who breaches their patents?
Perhaps a little more thought before you type next time eh?
hey guys, look at it this way…. at least Jody proves that Eric Schmidt has a fan. One fan mind you, but a fan.
@ *LTD
I am sure Apple has used others technology as well. It’s the world we live in.
Apple nor any other company is far from perfect.
As we used to say in high school, paybacks are a bitch. Apple didn’t start this fight; but I sure hope they put an appropriate end to it.
Android may have different versions out there… but at least they work.
If you have the first gen iPhone or iPhone 3GS using OS 3.x, your phone lags… IT’S SLOW!
I used iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS and I hated the lag. So anyone who has used an iPhone first gen or 3G, will know what I am talking about.
PS… iPhone OS 4.0 won’t work on iPhone first gen or 3G… I’m sure…
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@Jody
You seem so authoritative in your pronouncement.
So I wondered if you’d care to comment on the JooJoo debacle…
I simply love the MDN line:
iPad has blood on its touchscreen before it even hits customers’ hands.
WAIT.
Android fan.
Complaining about lagging.
On iPhone OS.
You can now be officially labeled as a fanboy-troll. Congrats.
Jody, have been using a first generation iPhone for two and half years, works flawlessly; there is no “lag.” The only lag is the time warp between your mouth and your ass.
Jody says: Android is garnering more interest than the iPhone
Jody says: Everyone steals. Why shouldn’t Google.
Jody says: Old versions of iPhone running old versions of OS are slow
Jody says: She knows that iPhone OS 4 won’t run on previous iPhones.
Pretty sad, Jody.
Just out of curiosity, are you a blond, Jody?
“Just out of curiosity, are you a blond, Jody?”
No, Jody lives in his/her mother’s basement with a windows netbook. while slurping Tom & Jerry ice cream, crying about his/her receding hairline and expanding belly.
Red head
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Did you see the reference to NeXt? These patents go back a long way. HTC is in big trouble; trouble with a capital X.
“Let the Games begin. Let’s see what happens and how long it takes for Android to overtake iPhone… Probably by 2012.”
Depends on your definition of ‘overtake’.. Google gives Android away for free. Unless you can come up with a number for the ads on Android phones, how much money those make Google, LESS the money Google is doling out to OEMS/Carriers, and that number is more than the billions Apple is making off iPhones…
Good lucky with that.
Come June, iPhone 3GS will be 99 bucks, iPhone 3G will be free and iPhone HD will be 199….
This is almost crazy. People who buy an HTC (Android) phone are really wanting an iPhone. So if you take away all of the Applesque of the Android phone, people wouldn’t want to buy it.
So let’s see if Android/Google can develop a unique user experience without copying Apple.
Sheesh.
Fight the chinese companies. USA USA USA. China and Google, a match made in heaven. USA USA
@ mike
iPhone 3GS (with a contract) from Vodafone in Ireland is Free right now. Vodafone and O2 both supply iPhone here.