After Apple decided to sue HTC last month in Delaware for patent infringement, it seems the handset maker is preparing to put on a little bit of high-profile litigation of its own.

This morning, HTC filed a claim in the U.S. District Court in Delaware alleging three counts of patent infringement against Apple, seeking all the typical damages bells and whistles that makes it sound like the world as we know it is at stake. The lawsuit is a typical response in high-tech IP infringement cases, where both parties "posture" and square off to see who has the more robust patent portfolio.

HTC claims that Apple's iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Mac computers infringe on the patents in question, suggesting that HTC's patents cover mostly iOS, with probably peripheral relation to OS X's interaction with iOS devices. (Syncing, perhaps?)

The legitimacy of HTC's claims are unclear (we have yet to see the complaint), but this is a calculated strategic move - not a declaration of all-out war. Filing the suit may facilitate HTC and Apple in reaching a settlement, and will likely encourage talks between the two.

Reuters via AndroidCentral