The shot heard round the world.

OK so we’re not talking about the opening shots to the American Revolutionary War here but rather the opening salvo to what could become an all-out war between many companies involving the all-important smartphone industry.

So what exactly happened you ask? Well here are the facts.

Apple filed a lawsuit today against HTC for infringing upon twenty hardware and software patents involving the Apple iPhone. The lawsuit, which was filed at both the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and the U.S. District Court of Delaware, has Apple seeking to prohibit HTC from selling, marketing, or distributing infringing products in the U.S.

What are the offending products?

The Google Nexus One, HTC Dream, HTC Hero, and HTC myTouch.

Wait.. aren’t they…

Yup. They are all Android-powered handsets.

So does that mean???

Nope.. Google was not named in the suit but they did have to say (via a spokeswoman today: “we stand behind our Android operating system and the partners who have helped us to develop it.”

Wow.. so what exactly did HTC supposedly infringe upon?

No exact details at this time but here’s what we know courtesy of a Reuters article. Apple claims HTC infringed “on a number of Apple’s patents, some dating back to the mid-1990s. They cover user interface processes and other software and hardware components.”

Wait – if Apple filed a lawsuit against HTC over Android-powered handsets; why haven’t they filed ones against other hardware manufacturers? What about Google?

The popular theory thus far is – it’s easier to go after a small company like HTC than someone like Samsung or Google. MKM Partners analyst Tero Kuittinen had this to say: “HTC is an optimal target for Apple — it’s a relatively small vendor with a weak brand. It may be easier to push around than Samsung.”

But make no mistake about it. This lawsuit is big. It’s a certainly a sign of things to come. Should Apple ultimately prevail in this lawsuit, you can bet the company will go after other players in the Android smartphone market – or even the larger smartphone market as a whole.

Of course who can say Apple won’t go ahead and file lawsuits against other handset manufacturers right now? Perhaps HTC is merely the first target in a laundry list of targets including Samsung, Motorola, and others.

Perhaps even more importantly for Apple – this lawsuit serves as a threat to others. “Enter the Android smartphone market at your own risk. Create a phone that looks and acts like ours and you risk our wrath.”

Yes.. the shot heard round the world..

For even more interesting discussions on this topic – check out this NYTimes article entitled “What Apple vs. HTC Could Mean”

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