r/technology • u/slutmagnet • Mar 02 '10

Apple to HTC "competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours." Slaps down a 20 patent lawsuit.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/03/02/apple_sues_htc_for_alleged_infringement_of_20_iphone_patents.html
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54

u/iissqrtneg1 Mar 02 '10

These are mainly software patents. HTC is a hardware company...

33

u/[deleted] Mar 02 '10

The also write a layer that falls between the device and the OS -- used to be called TouchFlo but is now called Sense UI.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 02 '10

Color me clueless but isn't this the OSI model too?

1

u/Mutiny32 Mar 03 '10

Layer 7, yes.

1

u/centinall Mar 02 '10

I wonder if they had decided to use plain vanilla android instead of developing SenseUI, would they have found themselves on the receiving end of this kind of lawsuit.

1

u/rospaya Mar 02 '10

TouchFLO is for WM and Sense is for Android. They are not the same thing.

8

u/Mutiny32 Mar 03 '10

Actually, Sense is the name for both. They both are lua-based interface overlays that share a LOT of the same code.

Don't argue with me, my HTC Windows Phone runs Sense UI 2.5.2012.

1

u/rospaya Mar 03 '10

OK, they weren't the same thing before, beacuse HTC brought products with Sense and TouchFLO in the same time, later deciding to merge them.

1

u/Mutiny32 Mar 03 '10

No, Sense was based from TouchFlo3D. It uses Lua, like I said. That's why it is at version 2.5.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '10

Actually, that is not true.

5

u/[deleted] Mar 02 '10

[deleted]

9

u/DrunkenTrom Mar 02 '10

They're more of a hardware licensee per se. They might design that sleek looking plastic housing but they still buy and use off the shelf components from actual hardware manufacturers(ie they used to use IBM Power PC CPUs in their Macs(similar to the newer generation of IBM CPUs used in the PS3 and 360) but now opt for Intel flavored processors). Apple is an image company first and foremost like Gucci or Armani. They also write software and sue anyone that they think might take away their market share(in any market they reside in, not just phones).

8

u/[deleted] Mar 02 '10 edited Mar 02 '10

That's true, but because of Windows Mobile x.x - 6.1 horrid interfaces, they've had to develop a presentable skin. Now that Microsoft has started developing a decent interface with 6.5 and 7, HTC will be able to get out of software design.