HTC is giving up on an appeal in a U.S. International Trade Commission appeal on a ruling that said Apple’s mobile devices aren’t infringing on patents it holds. An ITC judge ruled in February that Apple’s iPhone wasn’t infringing on four HTC patents, which led the now dead appeal on the ruling with the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
“I think HTC did the right thing. I never believed that its first complaint against Apple had merit,” said Florian Mueller of Foss Patents. “HTC could certainly have afforded to continue with the appeal, but it would only have annoyed the CAFC and the ITC.”
HTC drops appeal in ITC ruling on iPhone patent infringement
Apple and HTC have been fighting for months over allegations that HTC’s Android-based smartphones infringe on mobile device patents Apple owns.
Despite the decision to drop its Appeal, HTC isn’t done fighting with Apple. The smartphone maker is hoping to convince the ITC to let is use Google’s patents in its legal battle with Apple, has appealed an Apple injunction related to data tapping, and is still dealing with two other Apple-initiated ITC complaints.
HTC is also in the process of buying S3 Graphics, which has its own patent infringement claims against Apple. HTC and Apple are fighting over patents in Germany’s courts, too.