Apple is about to taste some of its own medicine in regards to patent claims: a Federal Judge has said that HTC patents that was challenged by the Redmond company are probably valid. U.S. International Trade Commission Judge Thomas Pender said that HTC’s patents on transmitting large amounts of data, critical for an LTE equipped device, are valid. HTC has accused Apple that they are infringing on the said patents, and if HTC wins their current battle with Apple in regards to the said patents, HTC could ask for an import ban on the latest iPad, which is LTE capable and on the next iPhone, which is widely believed to have LTE capability, in the US. That’s probably not going to happen though, as it’s more likely that HTC would ask Apple to settle with them, netting the company a substantial amount of cash.
And since HTC acquired the patents in April of 2011 from ADC Telecommunications Inc., Apple lawyer Michael McKeon of Fish & Richardson contends that the suits “were filed in retaliation against Apple,” referring to HTC’s previous defeats in the courtroom versus Apple. “I don’t care if they bought these patents to sue you or not,” Pender told McKeon. “They are a property right.”
Source: Bloomberg