HTC has joined Samsung in the legal battle against Apple

HTC might dampen the release of Apple’s iPhone 5 by trying to banish the smartphone from the US. The Taiwanese phone company is suing Apple over two infringement patents of 4G technology.

iPhone 5 is rumoured to be supporting the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) along with many other advanced features. HTC has accused Apple of imitating patents relating to 4G LTE in two of its devices namely the iPhone 5 and iPad.

According to Bloomberg, US International Trade Commission (ITC) judge Thomas Pender suggested that Apple might get into trouble over infringement issues. He said, “clear and convincing means something to me” about the legality of the patent suit.

HTC’s chairperson Cher Wang has resonated his concerns about the legal battle saying that the company is not planning for any settlement like Samsung.

The court records reveal that the Chinese manufacturer purchased the patents from ADC Telecommunications Inc. for $75 million to protect itself and its customers from these aggressive tactics and to preserve its ability to be a competitor in the US.

The two technology giants have been in legal tussles since Apple first accused HTC of imitating iPhone features in March, 2011. The quietly brilliant company has also had its share of victories when a judge at the UK High Court ordered that three of the four Apple owned patents in Europe were invalid.

Samsung, the wounded tiger, as Apple won the recent legal patent battle in the US has also decided to sue the company for patent infringement in 4G LTE technology.

With Apple planning to release the iPhone 5 amidst heightened speculations the legal wars might stale the mood of the consumers.

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