After extensive coverage of Samsung‘s war with Apple overseas, there’s a bit of a twist today: the legal battles don’t always involve Samsung and they aren’t taking place overseas. Welcome back to the legal battles between HTC and Apple. On December 14th, the smartphone manufacturer may face a giant ban against U.S. imports. If so, it would be a devastating blow to the company.
The patents currently being argued over mostly relate to software. The first is for a “system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data.” It sounds broad, but it gets a little more specific when Apple provides an example, such as the ability to find and highlight phone numbers in Safari and tap one to place a phone call. The second patent, a “real-time signal processing system for serially transmitted data,” applies to both hardware and software.
In July, a judge ruled in favor of Apple that HTC had in fact infringed on two of its enemy’s patents. Of course HTC filed for an appeal and if the verdict is once again to Apple’s advantage, HTC is in big trouble. A lack of HTC smartphones on sale in the U.S. for the holiday season could severely impact the manufacturer’s Q4 profits. Shares fell to a 17-month low today, signaling major concern over the potential outcome.