Apple and HTC have been in the midst of a legal row over patents lately, which has so far consisted of Apple issuing their press release without any prior contact to HTC and HTC flatly disagreeing with the case based on prior art. The 20-odd patents in question range the gamut from hardware (methods of reducing signal interference), to user interface (like slide-to-lock and multitouch), to architecture (such as managing camera power), but the general consensus is that Apple’s complaints are mostly without merit, and are just being made to clog up HTC’s gears. Luckily the International Trade Commission has decided to step in to expedite the investigation, and hopefully settle the matter quickly. In the next 45 days, the ITC will set a timeline for the completion of the investigation, at the end of which we’ll likely get a judgement one way or the other. I doubt anything serious, like a block on imports, will come of this, but paying of licensing fees or an exchange of patent rights seems likely.
[ITC via Electronista]