The patent dispute between Apple and HTC  has concluded  on December 20. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that HTC infringed on one of Apple's patents and HTC would face a exclusion order that restricts sale of some of its smartphones in the U.S., effective from April 2012.

Apple filed an action before the ITC in March of last year, alleging HTC's infringement of its patented iPhone and requested a sales ban on some of the HTC's phones. Shortly afterwards, HTC countersued by accusing Apple's infringement of its four patents.

In a review of a judge's findings in July, instead of ruling that HTC had infringed on two Apple patents, ITC determined that HTC was violating only one Apple patent. HTC expressed its satisfaction with the ruling in a statement.

The patent in question was related to technology that helped users clicking on phone numbers and other types of data in a document, such as an email, to either dial directly or click on the data to bring up more information.

The patent HTC infringed was not related to the core technology and the ruling gave it time to launch products and to work around the technology until April before the order in effect, according to Li Shunde, IPR Director from Graduate School of China Academy of Social Sciences.

However, this is one skirmish in one battle, which is forming a much larger war and each side has got some ammunition left. HTC should pay attention to the possible follow on lawsuits related to Apple.  

(China IP News)