“HTC Corp., the Taiwanese smartphone maker locked in a patent battle with Apple Inc., says it’s willing to negotiate with the iPhone maker,” Tim Culpan reports for Bloomberg. “‘We have to sit down and figure it out,’ Winston Yung, chief financial officer of the Taoyuan, Taiwan-based company, said by phone today. ‘We’re open to having discussions.'”
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“HTC on July 6 announced a $300 million deal to buy S3 Graphics Co., less than a week after that company won an ITC ruling against Apple over two patents. In a July 15 initial determination, the same commission ruled in Apple’s favor on two other patents,” Culpan reports. “‘We are open to all sorts of solutions, as long as the solution and the terms are fair and reasonable,’ Yung said. ‘On and off we’ve had discussions with Apple, even before the initial determination came out.'”
Culpan reports, “Yung said he’s not aware of any formal talks having been held since this month’s two separate ITC rulings.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Culpan’s attempt to equate the two S3 patents purchased by HTC and the two Apple patents that HTC infringes upon is laughable. Not all patents are the same. It isn’t 2-2, you have to look at what’s patented. Apple’s patents for data-detection and data transmission are a hell of a lot harder to work around than HTC’s purchased compression patents.
Apple ought to hold these copiers feet to the fire and make them an example to all of the other iPhone and iPad wannabe outfits.
Related articles:
HTC’s ‘Chief Innovation Officer’ resigns – July 25, 2011
Taiwan’s HTC shares tumble after U.S. ITC’s Apple patent ruling – July 18, 2011
HTC to appeal U.S. ITC ruling that company infringed on Apple patents – July 18, 2011
Apple’s U.S. ITC patent victory threatens future of Google’s Android – July 16, 2011
How Google’s Android infringes on Apple’s patents in U.S. ITC determination – July 16, 2011
U.S. ITC finds HTC infringed upon Apple patents – July 15, 2011
HTC decries ‘Apple’s constant attempts at litigations instead of competing fairly in the market’ – July 12, 2011
HTC stock tumbles after Apple’s new patent lawsuit – July 12, 2011
Apple’s second ITC complaint against HTC Android products dissected – July 11, 2011
Apple files second U.S. ITC trade complaint against HTC, seeks to block HTC imports – July 11, 2011
Steve Jobs loads up on high-powered legal team to protect Apple’s intellectual property – April 22, 2010
Apple’s patent infringement lawsuit: The elephant in HTC’s new headquarters – April 2, 2010
Apple patent infringement lawsuit applies pressure to HTC – March 3, 2010
Apple puts the entire industry on notice by suing HTC for patent infringement – March 03, 2010
What Apple vs. HTC could mean for the future of mobile devices – March 03, 2010
Apple looks for expedited proceedings in patent infringement case against HTC – March 03, 2010
Patent lawyer: Apple’s going after HTC first, Motorola’s next, but Google’s the real target – March 03, 2010
The specific Apple patents over which Apple is suing HTC – March 02, 2010
Boom! Apple sues HTC for infringing on 20 iPhone patents – March 02, 2010
Blink!
Bingo
HTC, if you really want to settle, you talk to Apple in private, not in public. Maybe Apple is not interested in settlement at all. Good luck to you, HTC, a thief, now you got caught. Next time when you steal again, better not got caught, or to have bastard Obama as your sugar daddy.
Here’s the difference between Apple and almost everyone else. Everyone else uses patents to “negotiate” deals and make money off licensing. Apple uses its patents to prevent the competition from copying Apple’s ideas and inventions, so that Apple’s products can remain unique. If it’s not an iPhone, it’s not an iPhone…
There will be no negotiation, because by definition, Apple does not want HTC offering copycat products.
I completely agree. What apple is actually doing is that it’s trying to monopolize the market. Apple apparently does not like competition. So they find a way to get rid of them. Normally businesses do this by trying to make their products better and more affordable. But with apple, nope, let’s let the government get rid of them for us. We’ll just file a lawsuit and let our precious patents do all the talking.
Theft is not innovation.
No you’re right Steve, I’ll just spend $m’s inventing stuff (that’s hiring engineers and overheads) then give you a call when I’m done so you can come over and take anything you want. Happy now?
You are completely wrong. Apple doesn’t care if there is a competition or not as long as so called competitor not a thief who steals Apple’s innovation. HTC can innovate their own hPhone if they are really smart, just don’t copy Apple’s innovation and pretend to be theirs.
Apple’s fine with real competition – what they don’t like is when someone steals their ideas and uses them to “compete” with Apple.
You agree?!? I don’t think you know what that means based upon the rest of your comment.
Uhm, let me fix your comment so it makes some sense.
What apple is actually doing is that it’s trying to create a natural monopoly in the market. Apple does not like illegal competition. So they find a way to get rid of the copyists. Normally businesses compete by trying to make their products better and more affordable, but the copyists just ape Apple’s designs and copy their IP. Apple’s only recourse is to file a lawsuit and let their precious patents do all the talking.
Gee… That was both Stupid and Ignorant at the same time. Congratulations.
Seems to be the way of the world these days – stupid and ignorant.
Bullies and asshole with I’ll intent always prey on ignorance. Stupid is permanent.
Seems to be the way of the world these days – stupid and ignorant.
Bullies and assholes with ill intent always prey on ignorance.
Stupid is permanent.
Where’s the “like” button?
😀
We’re just so used to MBA-run businesses that we think licensing all your patents is the only way to do it.
Personally I think that is a result of our business leaders not understanding that an innovative product (and the accompanying operations/distribution/marketing/etc.) can truly own the market. It’s like they believe from the beginning that their own new product is going to be a commodity, so they might as well enjoy a little licensing revenue on the side.
Apple sees it totally differently. Apple invented the lightbulb. Apple patented the lightbulb. Apple wants to sell us all the lightbulb for the 20 year term of their legally protected monopoly. Other companies better damn well invent their own method of illuminating your home.
please explain to us why you think Apple fears competition?
Could it be because they can’t get anyone to buy their products?
Or maybe they so far have been unable to make any money or make a significant impact in the market?
Apple competes with the mother of competitors, Microsoft, who truly didnt like competition and spent a decade stepping all over other companies.
Congratulations! You’ve just won the dick of the day award. Are you gunning for the prick of the year?
He probably wouldn’t win that.
He’ll have to wait for some consolation like “Lifetime Numpty Achievement Award” or “Outstanding Contribution for Numbskullery”.
No. Prick of the year award goes to the politician who puts America in default.
Politician, singular? Seriously?
They’re ALL complicit in refusing to compromise their respective sacred cows.
Please do not feed the troll.
Steve:
Don’t know which company employs you, but, I am guessing your title is something like, Director of Dissimulation.
There is no law against hegemony, which you would have us believe is tantamount to monopoly. Apple does not flinch from competition and is quite capable of out innovating and outcreating anyone.
What is your real angle here? I suspect nothing will induce you to be forthright and honest.
Wow. That was inane.
The reason HTC is willing to negotiate is because they’ll lose in court and they know it. If Apple enters negotiations, they’ll be short and sweet: Stop selling our intellectual property or we’ll crush you like a bug.
When you’ve got got a gun held to your head you’re not in a strong negotiating position.
PHUKKKEM.
HTC may want to negotiate with Apple, but does Apple want to negotiate with HTC?
Apple may not want to, but I expect that they’ll have to.
Why? Apple also needs to negotiate rights to tech that belongs to other patent holders. Negotiation is a two-way street.
This is a desperation plea. They know they cannot win here.
HTC yellow monkey shall go back mountains of Taiwan to hunt for more yellow bananas.
Right on!
The entire point of patents is that you have the legal right to control what you have created. That means you can prevent others from copying it, or you can license it out.
IT IS THE PATENT OWNER’S CHOICE ON HOW TO USE ITS PATENTED INVENTION.
This has nothing to do with “the government.” Apple is using the court system, just like many other patent holders, to enforce its rights under its patents. Period. In fact, if Apple does not fight to protect its rights, it can lose them.
Besides, if we didn’t have our court system, you’d have a resurgence of duels to determine outcomes, and CEOs certainly aren’t going to be in duels. So you’d have a resurgence in ninja assassins, hitmen, master swordsmen, etc.
Of course, Ballmer would do his own duels using razor-edged chairs and carbonated beverage grenades as the weapons of choice.
Bizlaw
Ballmer would do his own duels using razor-edged chairs and carbonated beverage grenades as the weapons of choice.
Brilliant!
Many of the patents are totally absurd. They should never have been granted. They are for things that any sane developer would come up with on their own working independently. Like having different behavior or action when clicking on a map link vs a phone number vs web link in an email on a mobile device. That is something we have had since the beginning of the web (href, mailto, etc).
Buying a company after it won a patent battle with your ‘enemy’ reeks of desperation. Any judge with a brain or a conscience (if that is possible) would slap HTC down like a red-headed step-child.