"Apple's HTC lawsuit may have come out of nowhere as far as the public is concerned, but behind the scenes, Apple has been warning handset vendors for some time that it has patents and lawyers and isn't afraid to use them.
"The threats and warnings to handset vendors have been going on for some time, according to a research note from Yair Reiner, a financial analyst with Oppenheimer & Co., in a note for clients.
"However, it was the HTC suit that was a litigation wakeup call for many Android vendors. "The lawsuit filed against HTC thus appears to be Apple's way of putting a public, lawyered-up exclamation point on a series of blunt conversations that have been occurring behind closed doors," wrote Reiner."
