On Monday Apple replied to the latest motion for a Delaware stay in its legal battle with HTC. The requested stay involves over six patents that Apple asserted earlier this year in Florida.

Apple's motion "implores the court to have mercy on Apple and to go ahead with at least the six patents at issue in this particular case," according to "FOSS Patents" (www.fosspatents.com). Apple's filing addresses HTC's case-specific arguments but mostly focuses on the broader picture.

This is all part of an ongoing legal battle. In November 2010 Apple sued Motorola, alleging that the company's smartphone lineup and the operating software it uses infringe on the iPhone-maker's intellectual property. The two lawsuits came after Motorola sued Apple in October 2010 for patent infringement. Motorola claims that Apple's iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and certain Mac computers infringe Motorola patents.

Also in 2010 Apple filed a lawsuit against HTC for infringing on 20 Apple patents related to the iPhone's user interface, underlying architecture and hardware. The lawsuit was filed concurrently with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and in U.S. District Court in Delaware.