HTC sues Apple as patent wars continue

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HTC has sued Apple in the US, as it hopes to cut off US sales of iPhones, iPads, iPods and even Mac computers.

The Taiwanese firm claimed Apple had infringed three patents obtained in 2008 and 2010 relating to Wi-Fi technology, amongst other features.

Apple has previously filed complaints against HTC, as the patent battle between the two companies heats up.

"We are taking this action against Apple to protect our intellectual property, our industry partners, and most importantly our customers that use HTC phones," said HTC general counsel Grace Lei.

The news came after Google purchased Motorola Mobility – a move seen by some as a patent-driven acquisition, not just a bid to become a serious hardware player.

“As noted by Google, a key objective of the acquisition is to gain access to Motorola’s sizable patent portfolio, rather than just its hardware business,” said Ovum analyst Nick Dillon.

“Having been outbid in the recent sell-off of Nortel’s patent portfolio, Google was clearly willing to look elsewhere to build up its arsenal of IP and in the light of the growing number of IP legal disputes in the smartphone market; this move will put Google in a stronger position competitively.”

Read on for our look at whether Google’s $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola’s mobile business will pay off.

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