ITC rules Apple did not violate HTC’s patents

The USA’s International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled that Apple did not violate rival vendor HTC’s patents for technology used in its mobile devices. HTC had filed the complaint with the ITC last year seeking a ban on the import of Apple devices into the USA as part of an ongoing patent dispute between Apple and Android device manufacturers.

The ITC found that Apple’s devices did not violate four of HTC’s patents, which cover technology for looking up and dialing phone numbers and different techniques for managing power consumption on portable electronic devices.

While a final decision has to be approved by the full Commission, it is rare for them to overturn the findings from the Law Judge.

HTC said it is waiting to get a full copy of the ruling before it decides how to proceed, but is expected to ask the ITC to review its decision.

“This is only one step of many in these legal proceedings,” HTC General Counsel Grace Lei said in a statement. “We are confident we have a strong case for the ITC appeals process and are fully prepared to protect our intellectual property.”

The final determination from the Commission is due February 2012.