Acer came out with the blandest of responses to the patent lawsuit hurled its way by HP yesterday. To summarise: it respects intellectual property and is looking into HP's claims.

The Taiwanese PC maker today supplied the market with a snapshot of last year's financial performance. Revenues advanced 16 per cent to $11.32bn (NT$369.09bn) in 2006. Profits after tax climbed 20.5 per cent from 2005 to US$313.47m (NT$10.22bn).

What else? Ah yes, the company is selling off Sertek, its components distie to fellow Taiwanese firm, Yosun Group, for an undisclosed number of cash and shares. Acer will take a seat on Yosun's board.

Acer's Chairman J.T. Wang didn't do the company many favors on the IP front during a Sept. 2005 news conference.

At the gig, Wang declared, "We don't want to be a pioneer anymore. Innovation should not be respected so much."

That line used to work for Michael Dell too. ®

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