Taiwanese handset maker insists patent case is about design rather than Android features.
HTC Corp. said Wednesday that Apple Inc.’s victory in its patent litigation with Samsung Electronics Co. in the U.S. has no impact on the Taiwanese smartphone maker’s operation.
“We don’t see the case having an impact on the way we do business, as it involved phone design more than Android features,” an HTC spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal in an email, without elaborating.
“As an innovator, HTC respects intellectual property and patent rights, and their enforcement. We aren’t a party to this case, and we continue to do what we do best: focus on bringing innovative mobile experiences to consumers.”
At HTC, the world’s fourth-biggest smartphone maker by shipments, there are growing concerns about a potential escalation of patent-infringement claims. The company is already embroiled in a lawsuit with Apple, with two patents in question among those that the U.S. jury found were violated by Samsung. The verdict is expected Nov. 8.
Android-based models accounted for 92% of HTC’s smartphone shipments last year, while the rest were based on Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system, according to market-research firm Gartner Inc.