The US International Trade Commission is investigating Apple’s most recent patent-infringement complaint against HTC.
“The U.S. International Trade Commission has voted to institute an investigation of certain portable electronic devices and related software,” the ITC said in a statement.
“The products at issue in this investigation are hardware and software used in a variety of portable electronic devices, including mobile communication equipment.”
Apple claims HTC has violated five of its patents, including one for scrolling operations, another for programmable tactile touchscreen displays, and one for a double-sided touch-sensitive panel, Apple Insider reports.
In March 2010, Apple accused HTC of infringing 10 patents, and in July this year, the ITC ruled that HTC had violated two of the 10 patents. This current review comes from a second complaint Apple had filed in July, pertaining to 12 Android smartphones and HTC’s Flyer tablet computer.
A loss means HTC’s products could be banned from entering the US, as the ITC has the authority to block imports. All Apple needs is a favourable decision on one of the patents.
Photo: The HTC Flyer tablet computer
