Engadget has it that Apple is suing rival phone maker HTC for infringing on 20 of the patents used in the iPhone.

Whilst most American technology companies have dozens of lawsuits going on at any one time, it is interesting to see Apple go after the main proponent and supplier of the majority of Android handsets on the market.

Even Steve Jobs has weighed into this one, stating; "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. We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours." - ouch.

We wont be expecting a quick resolution to this one, and it's only time (if we use previous mobile-related intellectual property lawsuits as examples) before HTC comes back with a counter-claim.

It's game time.

[Apple] (via Engadget)