经济学人252:HTC使用安卓系统 面临巨额赔偿的控诉

 　　HTC's patent problems

　　HTC 的专利问题

　　Android alert

　　安卓的警报

　　Using Google’s Android software has given HTC a boost, but it may now make the Taiwanese handset-maker vulnerable to costly¹ lawsuits²

　　使用谷歌的安卓软件给HTC带来了业务的增长，但是现在这也可能会使这家台湾的手机制造商面临巨额赔偿的诉讼

　　UNTIL a few years ago HTC was pretty small and relatively³ obscure. But the Taiwanese company’s recent growth has been remarkable⁴. In the second quarter it sold 11m smartphones, more than doubling its revenues in the same period last year. HTC’s main rivals, Nokia, Samsung and Apple, still sell around twice as many smartphones. But its rapid growth, especially on Apple’s American home turf, has made it a competitor to reckon with.

　　在几年前，HTC还是一家很小、很不著名的公司，但是这家台湾公司最近的增长十分引人注目。第二季度它销售了1100万台智能手机，比它去年同期收入的两倍还多。HTC的主要竞争对手——诺基亚、三星和苹果，在智能机方面的销售量仍然是它的两倍左右。但是它的迅速成长，尤其是在苹果的主场——美国的优异表现让它成为了一个需要顾及的对手。

　　One reason for HTC’s surging sales is the relentless⁵ pace of its innovation: in the past quarter, in which Apple had no new iPhone to launch, HTC introduced ten new models. Another is Google’s Android operating system, on which most of HTC’s smartphones are now based, which has proved a hit among consumers.

　　解释HTC激增的销售额的其中一条是它不停地创新：在上个季度里，苹果没有新的iPhone发布，HTC却引入了十款新的模型。另一条就是谷歌的安卓操作系统，目前多数HTC的智能机都以此为基础，这个做法使它在顾客中获得了青睐。

　　Apple has not taken the challenge from HTC lightly. On July 15th the US International Trade Commission upheld two claims in a larger patent suit Apple had filed against its rival. Earlier in the month, Apple had filed additional claims and MOSAID, a Canadian company, said it would also sue HTC, and Sony Ericsson, for patent infringement⁶. The outcome of these cases will be of keen interest not just for HTC but for other handset-makers using Android: promoted as a free, open-source system, it is proving surprisingly expensive. This is because it relies on a host of basic features that may be subject to patents: how a screen is swiped with a finger, how a phone number embedded⁷ in an e-mail can be called by tapping it, and so on.

　　苹果公司也没有对HTC轻敌。在7月15日，美国国际贸易委员会支持了两项在更大专利方面诉讼的请求，这些都是苹果控诉其竞争者的。这个月早些时候，苹果又提起了更多的诉讼，并且加拿大的MOSAID公司也表示会以侵权起诉HTC和索爱。关心这些案子结果的不仅仅是HTC，还有其他使用安卓系统的手机制造商。安卓被宣传为免费、开放的系统，但是最终证明它是异常昂贵的。这是因为它要依赖一大堆基本的特征，而它们是属于专利的：像屏幕如何被手指滑开；一个电话号码如何被嵌入一封邮件中，只要轻触就可以拨打它，等等。

　　Last year HTC resolved another claim over Android, with Microsoft, agreeing to pay it hefty royalties⁸. More such suits may yet emerge, and prove costly. HTC’s shares, having hitherto outperformed its peers’, have dropped by a third since early June. HTC will appeal against the trade commission’s ruling; but it will fight back in other ways, too. This month it spent $300m buying a loss-making software firm, S3, which recently won a patent case against Apple and may have other patents that will be useful in fending⁹ off Apple’s legal forays.

　　去年HTC解决了另一个关于安卓的赔付要求——它和微软合作，同意支付其昂贵的费用。这样的诉讼可能还会出现，并且都会要求高额的赔付。HTC的股价虽然至今比它的同辈们要好，但仍然从六月初开始下跌了近三分之一。HTC会对美国国际贸易委员的裁决提出上诉，它也会以其他方式反击。这个月它花了30亿美元购买一家总是亏损的软件公司——S3，这使它打赢了一个针对苹果的专利官司，并且也拥有了其他的一些专利可以用于阻击苹果的法律攻势。

　　Founded in 1997, HTC started out mostly doing contract manufacturing for other gadget-sellers. But as it has gained confidence in making smartphones under its own brand, it has steadily¹⁰ risen up mobile operators’ lists of the handsets they promote to subscribers. By April this year it had a bigger market capitalisation than troubled Nokia. The firm’s success has pushed Cher Wang, its chairwoman and largest shareholder¹¹, to the top of Forbes’s Taiwan rich list, passing Terry Gou, the boss of Hon Hai. HTC has kept much of its production in Taiwan whereas Hon Hai (also known as Foxconn) has shifted it to mainland China and stuck with contract manufacturing—a business that emphasises cost-trimming and low value-added.HTC has shown remarkable speed in building new products, adapting to changing telecoms standards and developing its own applications software. And its manufacturing quality has been remarkably¹² high. Unlike rivals HTC has not suffered unpleasant headlines about shoddy products or suicides at its factories. It has made progress in building a brand that reflects innovation and trust, allowing it to escape from the low-cost treadmill¹³ on which some of its peers remain stuck.

　　创始于1997年，HTC以给其他配件销售商做代工起家。但是当它从自己名下品牌的智能机制造获得自信以后，它就逐渐出现在服务商给其客户的手机宣传名单中。到今年四月，它已经拥有了比麻烦缠身的诺基亚更高的市值。这家公司的成功，使得它的女董事长以及最大股东，王雪红，超过鸿海公司的老板郭台铭，成为台湾福布斯的首富。HTC保持了它在台湾的产能，而鸿海（也作“富士康”）则移至大陆，并坚持代工——这是一项强调成本控制的行业，而且附加值很低。HTC以令人瞩目的速度制造新的产品、适应不断变化的电信产业标准和开发自己的应用软件。它的制造质量也是十分良好的。不像它的竞争对手，HTC已经在它的工厂产出劣质产品和自杀事件的报道中吃了亏。它在建立反映创新和信赖的品牌方面有所进步，使得它可以从低成本单调的工作中逃离出来，而那些正是它的一些同辈们苦苦支撑的。

　　But there is a risk that Android, a key element in this successful strategy, is turning into a vulnerability. Apple sees its patents as a weapon to undermine Android’s cost advantage. The more time HTC has to spend fighting lawsuits, and the greater the share of its revenues it has to pay out in software royalties, the harder it will be to keep up its remarkable run of success.

　　但是其中也有风险，那就是安卓——它成功策略中重要的一个元素，正在成为一个软肋。苹果将它的专利视作一种武器来破坏安卓系统的成本优势。HTC花在打官司上的时间越多，它从收入中拿出支付版税的钱也就越多，而它要想保持它目前成功的运营也就越困难。

　　vulnerable adj. 易受伤害的

　　obscure a.不著名的

　　infringement n.违反，侵害

　　outperform v. 做得比...好; 胜过...

　　revenue n.收入

1 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

2 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

3 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

4 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

5 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

6 infringement   

n.违反；侵权

参考例句：

• Infringement of this regulation would automatically rule you out of the championship.违背这一规则会被自动取消参加锦标赛的资格。
• The committee ruled that the US ban constituted an infringement of free trade.委员会裁定美国的禁令对自由贸易构成了侵犯

7 embedded   

a.扎牢的

参考例句：

• an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
• He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。

8 royalties   

特许权使用费

参考例句：

• I lived on about £3,000 a year from the royalties on my book. 我靠着写书得来的每年约3，000英镑的版税生活。 来自辞典例句
• Payments shall generally be made in the form of royalties. 一般应采取提成方式支付。 来自经济法规部分

9 fending   

v.独立生活，照料自己( fend的现在分词 )；挡开，避开

参考例句：

• He is always spending his time fending with the neighbors. 他总是与邻里们吵架。 来自互联网
• Fifth, it is to build safeguarding system and enhance the competence in fending off the risk. 五是建立政策保障体系，提高防范和抵御风险的能力。 来自互联网

10 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

11 shareholder   

n.股东，股票持有人

参考例句：

• The account department have prepare a financial statement for the shareholder.财务部为股东准备了一份财务报表。
• A shareholder may transfer his shares in accordance with the law.股东持有的股份可以依法转让。

12 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

13 treadmill   

n.踏车；单调的工作

参考例句：

• The treadmill has a heart rate monitor.跑步机上有个脉搏监视器。
• Drugs remove man from the treadmill of routine.药物可以使人摆脱日常单调的工作带来的疲劳。