Google Hands HTC Patents to Use Against Apple in Smartphone Wars

HTC Corp., Asia’s second-biggest smartphone maker, is using nine patents bought from Google Inc. last week to pursue new infringement claims against Apple Inc.

Google had taken ownership of the patents less than a year ago, with four of the patents originating from Motorola Inc., three from Openwave Systems Inc. and two from Palm Inc., according to U.S. Patent and Trademark Office records. Jim Prosser, a spokesman for Mountain View, California-based Google, wouldn’t discuss reasons for the nine transfers to HTC.