HTC has lost a patent infringement suit brought against Apple at the ITC. The US International Trade Commission said the patent rights of S3 Graphics, a subsidiary of HTC, weren't violated by Apple. It rejected a request for an order that could have limited imports of some Mac computers, the iPhone and iPad. The commission gave no reason for its decision, Bloomberg reports. HTC acquired S3 earlier this year in the hopes it would strengthen its case against Apple. S3 Graphics makes image-compression technology, and HTC acquired around 235 patents with the takeover. US trade Judge James Gildea found in July that some Apple Macs infringed two S3 Graphics patents related to graphics chips, while the mobile platform for the iPhone didn't infringe. The six-member ITC reviewed the entire decision in the latest ruling. The decision marks the first time the six-member commission has ruled on one of the dozen smartphone cases at the agency. S3 Graphics has another trade case pending against Apple over four other patents, and HTC has two of its own cases, including one in which it asserts patents obtained from Google. "We are disappointed, but respect the ITC's decision," HTC General Counsel Grace Lei said in a statement. "While the outcome is not what we hoped for, we will review the ruling once the commission provides it and will then consider all options, including appeal." The commission is also reviewing an agency judge's determination that HTC infringed two Apple patents, with a decision expected 6 December, and may take a look at a judge's findings that cleared Apple of infringing HTC patents.
