HTC has just seen off a turbulent autumn, only to face an equally bleak winter. It is reported that Nokia has just won a patent lawsuit against HTC in the UK. The HTC smartphones accused of infringing on Nokia's patents are the Wildfire and the flagship HTC One. Nokia stated it would seek financial compensation for the patent infringement and apply to the court to prohibit the importation and sale of HTC smartphones in the UK.
In a written statement, Nokia spokesperson Mark Durrant said that this verdict was a "major development" in the ongoing patent dispute between Nokia and HTC. Reuters cited HTC's spokesperson as saying, "HTC is very disappointed with the outcome of the case in the UK courts. We will appeal immediately."
For HTC, this could be described as a season of troubles. Previously, the company had been busy dispelling rumors about factory closures and dealing with the resignation of its global PR director. Now, its flagship HTC One faces the risk of being banned from sale in the UK, which might be the heaviest blow it has encountered so far.
As early as last year, Nokia filed a patent lawsuit against HTC. Now, there are over 50 patent lawsuits filed by Nokia against HTC awaiting court hearings worldwide. To date, HTC has been found to have infringed on four of Nokia's patents.
Nokia is renowned for its emphasis on R&D. In the past decade, it has invested $40 billion in research and development, approximately four times Apple's expenditure during the same period. Nokia currently owns a total of 30,000 patents.