Nexus One
苹果公司(Apple Inc.)对谷歌公司(Google Inc.)在手机市场的一个重要合作伙伴采取了法律行动。此举进一步显示这两家硅谷公司之间的关系正越来越紧张。
Apple Inc. (AAPL) launched a legal broadside against a key Google Inc. (GOOG) partner in the mobile phone market, in a further sign of the escalating tensions between the two Silicon Valley companies.
总部位于加利福尼亚州库柏堤诺(Cupertino)的苹果公司对台湾智能手机生产商宏达国际(HTC Corp.)发起诉讼，称多项专利受到侵犯。宏达国际生产了多款知名手机，包括使用谷歌Android手机操作系统的Nexus One。苹果分别向特拉华联邦法庭和美国国际贸易委员会(U.S. International Trade Commission)提起了诉讼，两起诉讼都称，宏达国际的手机共计侵犯了苹果公司20项专利，涉及一系列手机技术，包括电能管理功能，以及一种用手指 点击触摸屏为手机解锁的方法等等。
Apple of Cupertino, Calif., alleged numerous patent violations in lawsuits against HTC Corp. (2498.TW, HTCXF), the Taiwan-based manufacturer of smartphones, including high-profile models like Nexus One that use Google's Android mobile operating system. Apple's two complaints--filed in federal court in Delaware and the U.S. International Trade Commission--allege that HTC devices infringe a total of 20 Apple patents covering an array of cellphone technologies, including everything from power-management functions to a method of unlocking a handset through a finger swipe on a cellphone touch-screen.
苹果首席执行长乔布斯(Steve Jobs)在一份声明中说，我们可以坐视竞争对手偷走我们的专利发明，或者也可以采取某些措施，我们决定采取某些措施；我们认为竞争是好事，但竞争对手应 该创造自己的原创技术，而不是偷走我们的技术。
'We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We've decided to do something about it,' Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said in a statement. 'We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours.'
此次诉讼显示，苹果越来越有意抵御谷歌公司的侵犯，以捍卫自己凭借iPhone在手机市场上不断扩大的市场份额。谷歌是苹果目前最具威胁的竞争 对手之一。据科技行业研究公司Gartner Inc.的数据，去年苹果在智能手机市场的占有率是14.4%。将近三年前它以iPhone叩开这个市场时，其市场份额还是零。
The lawsuits show a growing willingness by Apple to defend its growing piece of the mobile business with the iPhone against encroachments by Google, one of the most serious rivals it has faced so far. Apple's share of the smartphone business soared to 14.4% last year from nothing when it entered the business with the iPhone almost three years ago, according to Gartner Inc.
但谷歌也是来势汹汹。据Gartner的数据，去年Android手机的份额从前年的0.5%上升到了3.9%。Android是开源技术，意 味着其他公司可以随意使用和修改，但谷歌和宏达国际等手机生产商密切合作，帮助这些公司让Android操作系统契合它们所开发的手机。
But Google is coming on strong in the market too. Android handsets nabbed 3.9% of the market last year, up from 0.5% the prior year, according to Gartner. The Android technology is open source, meaning other companies are free to use and modify it, but Google works closely with handset makers like HTC to help them customize it for their devices.
Android系统正在赢得手机生产商的广泛支持，很多分析师预计这个系统将来会获得很大成长。虽然谷歌并没有被苹果列为被告，但苹果公司通过 此次诉讼，可能会让其他考虑使用Android系统的手机生产商有所顾忌。
Android is gaining broad support from handset makers, which has led many analysts to predict big gains for the software in the future. While Google isn't named as a defendant in Apple's suits, the legal challenges could be a way for Apple to more broadly rattle handset makers that are considering using the software.
谷歌公司没有回应置评请求。苹果拒绝评论此次诉讼是否间接针对谷歌。
Google didn't respond to requests for comment. Apple declined to comment on whether the lawsuit was a proxy action aimed at Google.
虽然宏达国际也生产采用微软(Microsoft Corp.)一个操作系统的手机，并且其中几款手机也在苹果的此次诉讼中被点了名，但苹果此次的诉讼重点是宏达国际Android手机所谓的侵权行为。这 些手机包括通过运营商Sprint Nextel Corp.销售的Hero和通过运营商Verizon Wireless销售的Droid Eris等知名手机。
While HTC also makes phones based on an operating system from Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), several models of which are named in one of its complaints, the Apple lawsuits emphasize alleged violations by HTC's Android phones. Those include high-profile models like Hero, sold through Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), and Droid Eris, sold through Verizon Wireless.
多年来，宏达国际在智能手机市场一直是埋头苦干，但最近它因为生产Android手机获得了更高知名度。律师事务所Lowenstein Sandler PC的专利法律师凯斯伦(Mark Kesslen)说，宏达国际在这个领域似乎正在获得极大的成长，而诉讼是让它慢下来的一种办法。
For many years, HTC toiled in anonymity in the smartphone market, but lately has gained a higher profile with Android phones. 'HTC seems to be a getting a lot of play in this space,' said Mark Kesslen, who runs the patent practice at law firm Lowenstein Sandler PC. '(The lawsuit) is a way to slow it down.'
宏达国际发言人诺瓦克(Keith Novak)表示，公司正在研究此案。他说，公司重视专利权及其行使，但也致力于维护自己的技术创新。
An HTC spokesman said the company is still reviewing the case. 'HTC values patent rights and their enforcement but is also committed to defending its own technology innovations,' said spokesman Keith Novak.
微软一位发言人拒绝置评。苹果的诉讼也未将微软列为被告。
A spokeswoman for Microsoft, which also isn't named as a defendant in the suits, declined to comment.
除了手机，谷歌与苹果在其他领域的竞争也在加剧。谷歌已推出一项在线音乐搜索服务，可能对苹果的网上音乐商店iTunes构成竞争。谷歌还在开 发一种基于网络的操作系统Chrome OS，目标就是要挑战苹果和微软的操作系统。
The battle between Google and Apple is intensifying on other fronts apart from mobile phones. Google has launched an online music search service that could compete with iTunes and is working on a Web-based operating system, Chrome OS, which aims to challenge the software that Apple and Microsoft run on their computers.
谷歌和苹果都曾发起对手机广告公司AdMob的收购，结果是后者同意由谷歌收购。但此后苹果收购了另一家小型手机广告初创公司Quattro Wireless，并打算向软件开发商提供手机广告服务，这对谷歌是一种正面进攻。
Google and Apple also both fought to acquire mobile ad company AdMob, which agreed to be acquired by Google. But Apple later acquired another small mobile ad startup, Quattro Wireless, and plans to offer mobile ad services to software developers, a direct assault against Google.