By: Francis Rey
Source: www.socialbarrel.com
Category: Patent Infringement
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled that HTC handsets are guilty of Apple patent infringement and decided to prohibit importation and sales of the Android devices inside the US.
The US ITC found the Taiwan-based smartphone maker infringing upon an iOS feature that allows the device to turn map locations, phone numbers and URLs into clickable app-specific hyperlinks automatically from within text messages.
This development in the judicial proceeding means all OEMs, not only HTC, that preinstall Google’s Android mobile operating system are now under fire for Apple patent infringement.
Android-based devices started using the feature in question after developers added it in Android 1.5, which is not inherent on HTC devices only.
Google, however, offers Android as open-source software so Apple cannot touch it, hence the latter started to go after the Android device manufacturers, which now begins with HTC.
Apple lawyers may now be mulling over ramped up efforts to block other Android OEMs who are most likely using the feature in products sold in the market today, but HTC has already found a way out of this mess for others to follow by simply getting rid of the infringing feature from Android devices.
HTC even brought out a statement to confirm the feature’s removal from its Android product offerings, which should allow the company to import and sell its devices in the US again.
Unfortunately, HTC has to wait for Google to come up with the update before April 19 of next year, the due date given by the US ITC.
Source: http://socialbarrel.com/us-itc-rules-against-htc-in-apple-patent-infringement-case/29300/
Source: www.socialbarrel.com
Category: Patent Infringement
 |
| Patent Infringement |
The US ITC found the Taiwan-based smartphone maker infringing upon an iOS feature that allows the device to turn map locations, phone numbers and URLs into clickable app-specific hyperlinks automatically from within text messages.
This development in the judicial proceeding means all OEMs, not only HTC, that preinstall Google’s Android mobile operating system are now under fire for Apple patent infringement.
Android-based devices started using the feature in question after developers added it in Android 1.5, which is not inherent on HTC devices only.
Google, however, offers Android as open-source software so Apple cannot touch it, hence the latter started to go after the Android device manufacturers, which now begins with HTC.
Apple lawyers may now be mulling over ramped up efforts to block other Android OEMs who are most likely using the feature in products sold in the market today, but HTC has already found a way out of this mess for others to follow by simply getting rid of the infringing feature from Android devices.
HTC even brought out a statement to confirm the feature’s removal from its Android product offerings, which should allow the company to import and sell its devices in the US again.
Unfortunately, HTC has to wait for Google to come up with the update before April 19 of next year, the due date given by the US ITC.
Source: http://socialbarrel.com/us-itc-rules-against-htc-in-apple-patent-infringement-case/29300/
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