The iPhone 4S
The International Trade Commission has cleared Apple of charges alleging it violated HTC subsidiary S3’s intellectual property rights.
S3 Graphics, which is owned by HTC, brought a case to the International Trade Commission, claiming Apple’s iOS devices and Macs use S3 technology without permission.
The technology in question covers data compression and decompression in four patents.
A preliminary inquiry decided Apple had violated two of the patents.
However, the International Trade Commission’s main judicial panel decided that Apple did not infringe any of the patents.
Patent wars
HTC acquired S3 in July this year. It was among a number of companies embroiled in IP battles with Apple.
The saga is just another phase in the ongoing patent wars Apple is both defending and fighting.
HTC is involved in a number of other patent suits against Apple and vice versa.
The California computer giant is also fighting a series of similar battles against Samsung.
