US panel turns down Apple's request to ban HTC Smartphones

Zeebiz Bureau

Washington: A US trade panel has rejected Apple's request to immediately ban some HTC Smartphones from being imported into the United States citing patent issues.

The affected models include the HTC One X, Inspire 4G, Vivid among others.

The International Trade Commission, hearing patent complaints concerning imported products, has said that it would investigate Apple's allegations but that HTC was shipping Smartphones but refused to issue an order for banning the phones immediately.

HTC said in June that its new models had been changed and no longer infringed on the patent, but Apple disagreed and accused HTC of violating the existing exclusion order. Apple asked the ITC to investigate, and to stop the smartphones at the US border.

With Agency Inputs