Analyst Eightball: HTC Lawsuit A Warning To Other Manufacturers
March 10th, 2010
Analyst Yair Reiner of Oppenheimer issued a report today, essentially saying that Apple’s suit against HTC was a warning shot to handset manufacturers. According to Reiner:
“Starting in January, Apple launched a series of C-Level discussions with tier-1 handset makers to underscore its growing displeasure at seeing its iPhone-related IP [intellectual property] infringed. The lawsuit filed against HTC thus appears to be Apple’s way of putting a public, lawyered-up exclamation point on a series of blunt conversations that have been occurring behind closed doors.
“Our checks also suggest that these warning shots are meaningfully disrupting the development roadmaps for would-be iPhone killers. Rival software and hardware teams are going back to the drawing board to look for work-arounds. Lawyers are redoubling efforts to gauge potential defensive and offensive responses. And strategy teams are working to chart OS strategies that are better hedged.”
In other words, Apple isn’t taking kindly to multi-touch no-keyboard phones, and will fight off models it sees as being too similar to the iPhone.
While this may be true, it remains to be seen if Apple’s patents will hold up under ITC investigation, and if if Apple’s desired precedent is established. Even if it isn’t, the financial burden of litigation may be enough to dissuade some manufacturers.
[via Fortune]
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