HTC

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Taiwanese smartphone vendor HTC has offered an olive branch to Apple in the two firms’ patents spat with the US International Trade Commission (ITC), saying it is willing to negotiate with the iPhone maker. “We have to sit down and figure it out,” HTC CFO Winston Yung told Bloomberg. “We’re open to having discussions.” His comments hint at a softer approach than a week ago when HTC said it would use “all means possible” to protect itself after an ITC judge ruled that the company had infringed two patents held by Apple. The ITC had earlier ruled that Apple is also infringing two separate patents held by HTC related to its recent purchase of S3 Graphics. Both rulings are subject to review. “We are open to all sorts of solutions, as long as the solution and the terms are fair and reasonable,” Yung said. “On and off we’ve had discussions with Apple, even before the initial determination came out.”

HTC yesterday separately commented on the recent departure of its head of innovation, Horace Luke, the executive widely credited for spearheading the firm’s successful entry into Android-based smartphones. “Horace nurtured a culture of innovation at HTC and instilled a strong consumer design focus among our employees, who continue to raise the bar in designing products that capture our customers’ imagination,” HTC said in a statement. According to the Wall Street Journal, analysts believe that Luke’s resignation is a cause for “long-term concern” at the smartphone maker.

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