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This has always been just a matter of time, and now that time is here.
If you've ever used an HTC phone (and chances are, if you're using a touchscreen phone in the U.S. that's not an iPhone or a Palm Pre, you are) you already know well the similarities between that device and the Apple iPhone.

And, in the legally-fixated eyes of Apple's Steve Jobs, that's a big issue.

Today Apple is filing a lawsuit against HTC alleging 20 different patent violations relating to "the iPhone's user interface, underlying architecture and hardware."

Apple released a terse statement about the suit this morning, the relevant quote being: "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," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours."

Fundamentally this is an attack not just against HTC but against the Android operating system too, which has lately been picking up a lot of steam as more impressive and genuinely handsome Android hardware hits the market. Consumers have noticed, and they seem to like what they see.

TechCrunch notes that Apple isn't playing softball with this one. It has filed suit with both the U.S. International Trade Commission and U.S. District Court in Delaware. The former could prevent the import of any infringing devices into the U.S. The latter can award financial damages to Apple. And while this will take years to work its way through the system, the site also suggests that Apple's endgame here may be to try to weasel patent licensing money out of HTC -- which would likely put serious upward pressure on HTC product prices.

Either way, this is likely to offer some fireworks as the case progresses.