According to the court records, U. S. technology giant Apple filed suit against Taiwanese phone maker HTC Tuesday for infringement of 20 iPhone patents.

"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," Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs said in a statement to InformationWeek.

"Competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own technology, not steal ours," Jobs further said.

HTC products include a mobile phone manufactured for Google, the Nexus One, which includes a touch-screen, a built-in global positioning system and other features similar to the iPhone.

InformationWeek further added that while many mobile phones have similar or overlapping features, the Nexus One may have been the product that provoked the suit. (With input from agencies)