HTC Corp. this week released an official statement for general public regarding the patent infringement lawsuit that Apple filed against the company earlier this month. HTC said that it had consistently driven innovation by introducing award-winning smartphones and it disagrees with the action taken by Apple.

“HTC disagrees with Apple’s actions and will fully defend itself. HTC strongly advocates intellectual property protection and will continue to respect other innovators and their technologies as we have always done, but we will continue to embrace competition through our own innovation as a healthy way for consumers to get the best mobile experience possible,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer of HTC.

HTC mentioned a number of its technology firsts, which should prove that the company has always been a pioneer in the mobile phone technology:

• First Windows PDA (1998);
• First Windows Phone (June 2002);
• First 3G CDMA EVDO smartphone (October 2005);
• First gesture-based smartphone (June 2007);
• First Google Android smartphone (October 2008);
• First 4G WIMAX smartphone (November 2008).

In 2009, HTC launched its branded user experience, HTC Sense, which is based on Google Android operating system. According to some media reports, Apple did contact HTC prior to the formal lawsuit and said that it would sue the company in case it the latter would not stop selling touch-sensitive screens.

“From day one, HTC has focused on creating cutting-edge innovations that deliver unique value for people looking for a smartphone. In 1999 we started designing the XDA and T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition, our first touch-screen smartphones, and they both shipped in 2002 with more than 50 additional HTC smartphone models shipping since then,” added Mr. Chou.

Typically, companies counter-sue their plaintiffs in order to either achieve cross-licensing agreement or out-of-court resolution. However, so far HTC has not accused Apple of patent infringement.

Google itself, which lead the development of Android operating system that powers Sense-based phones from HTC, said that it was definitely not a party of the legal fight between Apple and HTC, but it would stand behind Android as well as its partners. Considering the fact that Google’s own Nexus One is made by HTC, the search giant may indeed become a part of the legal action.

“We are not a party to this lawsuit. However, we stand behind our Android operating system and the partners who have helped us to develop it,” an official from Google is reported to have said early this month.

Tags: HTC, Apple, Google, Android, Nexus One