9:53 am ET 08/16/2011 - Reuters
* Lawsuit escalates legal battle
* HTC seeks to halt US sale of Mac, iPad, iPod, iPhone (Adds details from complaint, background)
NEW YORK, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Smartphone maker HTC Corp sued Apple Inc , claiming infringement of three patents through Apple's sale of Macintosh computers, iPads, iPods, iPhones and other devices.
(Segments)
HTC filed its lawsuit one day after Google Inc agreed to pay $12.5 billion in cash for Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc to gain access to thousands of patents and help protect its fast-growing Android mobile operating system.
That merger, if completed, could put pressure on HTC and other Android licensees, which face the risk of promoting a direct rival.
Google last year developed the Nexus phone with HTC, but sales proved disappointing.
According to its complaint, HTC obtained the patents that it believes Apple is infringing in 2008 and 2010.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/16/apple-htc-idUSN1E77F0CU20110816