Nokia shouldn't be found liable of infringing Apple's patents, the staff of the US International Trade Commission said as a trial started. "The evidence will not establish a violation" of Apple patent rights, the staff, which acts on behalf of the public as a third party in the case, said in a pre-hearing memo reported by Bloomberg. Apple is asking the ITC to block imports of Nokia phones into the US, claiming they are infringing four patents. The trial began 1 November in Washington. Nokia is challenging both infringement and validity of the Apple patents, which include one for a way the device boots up and another related to power management. The staff said that some aspects of the patents were invalid and others weren't infringed. ITC Judge Charles Bullock is scheduled to release his findings in February, and the staff said that if he does find there was a violation, he should recommend an order to ban imports of specific Nokia phones. The judge isn't obligated to follow the staff's position. His ruling is subject to review by the six-member commission, which is scheduled to complete the investigation by June. Nokia's own complaint against Apple is scheduled for trial beginning 29 November, and additional Apple claims against Nokia are scheduled to be heard as part of the case against HTC in February.
