Smartphones: HTC to appeal Apple patent ruling

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s leading smartphone maker HTC said on Saturday it would appeal a ruling by a United States trade body which found that it had infringed two patents held by US giant Apple. Apple filed a complaint against HTC in March 2010 with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) accusing the Taiwanese firm of violating ten patents related to the iPhone. HTC maintains none of the ten were infringed. “We are highly confident we have a strong case for the ITC appeals process and are fully prepared to defend ourselves using all means possible,” said HTC general counsel Grace Lei in a statement. As the legal battle between the rivals escalated, Apple filed a new compliant against HTC with the ITC on Monday involving patents related to iPads and iPhones.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2011.