US ITC delays Apple HTC case for a week

A DECISION on whether HTC has infringed Apple patents has been delayed for a week until 14 December.

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) will announce its decision on whether HTC has infringed two of Apple's patents next week. If so HTC devices containing that technology could be banned in the US. Future HTC devices might also be banned from using the technology.

HTC had previously said it planned to buy S3, which claimed to have patents that Apple had violated, in a bid to win against the cappuccino company.

Last month, we reported that HTC was re-evaluating its decision to buy the graphics outfit after the graphics firm's patents failed to win an ITC case brought against Apple.

HTC had announced it would purchase S3 Graphics to bolster its intellectual property portfolio as it fends off lawsuits from Apple. However following the ITC decision that Apple did not infringe S3's patents, HTC said it would stop and rethink its decision to buy the company.

According to HTC the deal to buy S3 could still be on, but the company didn't do much to hide its disappointment with the ITC decision.

HTC saw its sales fall by 30 per cent in the month of November, ending a two year streak of strong sales growth for the company that made the first UK Android phone. µ