Not surprising, despite news of legal issues being thrown back and forth between HTC and Apple, the smart phone manufacturer has been able to establish itself as an industry leader in the development of the Android smart phone. For one thing, their HTC Desire, Hero end Legend trio are continuously reigning on top of the Android charts –only giving a slight way to the Motorola Milestone when it came out during the holiday season.

Of course, HTC’s strong Android presence is also backed by the fact that they have been part of the development of the OS since the very beginning. HTC is among the founding members of the Open Handset Alliance and has been the manufacturer behind many Android smart phones –including the G1 and even the Google Nexus One.

More than just an Android leader, HTC has also been a prominent figure for Microsoft’s mobile platforms. The HTC HD2 is the best selling Windows Mobile handset and the company is now working on the recently leaked HTC Gold (formerly the Mondrian), a high end WP7 smart phone that is expected to come out later this year.

Speaking of the Gold, the handset has been leaked along with two other HTC devices, the Ace and the Vision. While little is known about the Ace at this point, the HTC Vision will be taking a page out of Motorola’s book by introducing the very first HTC Android that comes with a slide out QWERTY keyboard.

HTC has been an important partner for Google –developer of the Android operating system and also Apple’s biggest competitor in the mobile industry. The Taiwanese manufacturer made the HTC Dream and the Nexus One –two major firsts for the open source mobile platform.

Apple recognizes the potential of the Android OS and is not going to foolishly look for a way to fight Google head on, instead, by filing lawsuit against HTC, they could potentially affect the development of many Android devices (many of which are expected to be released by April).

Google has already declared that they will be supporting HTC as an industry partner in this case. With many of the devices affected being Android smart phones, it is pretty obvious what Apple’s true motive are.

HTC in the meanwhile is keen on defending its technology and innovations, they have stated that they have been in the industry longer than Apple and are responsible for many important firsts.

According to Jason Mackenzie, HTC America VP, “HTC has always taken a partnership-oriented, collaborative approach to business. This has led to long-standing strategic partnerships with the top software, Internet and wireless technology companies in the industry as well as the top U.S., European and Asian mobile operators. It is through these relationships that we have been able to deliver the world’s most diverse series of smartphones to an even more diverse group of people around the world, recognizing that customers have very different needs.”

Learn more about the proceedings of the lawsuit and how HTC is defending itself from Reuters UK.

This may seem underhanded, but it is a pretty good technique to gain monopoly on technology. Regardless if Apple is using the technology, the fact that they own the patents means that they have a legal right to it –even if HTC made the device first. Of course, a bit of investigation has to be done in order to confirm that a patent has indeed been infringed. Of course, it is highly possible that during the course of the investigation, Apple could motion that the HTC devices in question be put on hold –effectively weakening the availability of the Android OS.

HTC has stated that they will not only defend their patents, but also:  “HTC disagrees with Apple’s actions and will fully defend itself. HTC strongly advocates intellectual property protection and will continue to respect other innovators and their technologies as we have always done, but we will continue to embrace competition through our own innovation as a healthy way for consumers to get the best mobile experience possible.”

“From day one, HTC has focused on creating cutting-edge innovations that deliver unique value for people looking for a smartphone. In 1999 we started designing the XDA and T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition, our first touch-screen smartphones, and they both shipped in 2002 with more than 50 additional HTC smartphone models shipping since then.”

Get the full details on the lawsuit against HTC and their statement at Pocket Lint.

It is already a common fact that most HTC devices use the Sense user interface (or the TouchFlo 3D) which may be the target of the some of the software infringement cases. Despite this, Google has issued a statement that they support and are behind HTC on the issue.

The show of corporate loyalty is touching, and for many, quite expected. Google and HTC have a pretty long history together. HTC, for its part, has been one of the founding and most active members of the Open Handset Alliance. They have played a key role in the development of the Android OS and have been the manufacturer behind many firsts such as the first Android device and the first Google branded smart phone.

With Apple and Google’s industry rivalry getting stronger with each passing week, Apple’s decision to sue HTC can be considered a very smart maneuver to disable an important cog in the Android chassis.

Regardless of whether HTC wins the lawsuit or not, it is predicted that Apple is simply aiming to slow down the pace of the Android OS’ advancement. With the Nexus One already under its belt, the HTC Desire and Legend coming this year and the upcoming HTC Scorpio seeming poised to match the Apple iPhone 4G; HTC has positioned itself as a key player in Google’s plans. A single well placed lawsuit such as this should help Apple pave the way for their upcoming devices like the iPhone 4G.

Get more info about the Apple-HTC lawsuit at the Telegraph UK.