U.K. Judge Says HTC Phones Don't Infringe Apple Patents

A U.K. judge has ruled that HTC doesn't infringe four Apple patents and that three of those patents are invalid, reports Bloomberg.

HTC's devices don't infringe four Apple patents for the technology and three of those patents are invalid, Judge Christopher Floyd said yesterday. In addition to the slide-to-unlock feature, today's ruling covered Apple's patents on tools used to scroll through photographs and change alphabets, and software allowing users to touch the screen in two spots simultaneously.

Peter Bell, an attorney at Stevens & Bolton LLP, told Bloomberg that this "marks a considerable defeat for Apple in the smartphone patent wars. Two of Apple's prize patents have been knocked out in the U.K."


HTC was pleased at the ruling but said, "we remain disappointed that Apple continues to favor competition in the courtroom over competition in the marketplace."

Apple has had slightly better luck against HTC in the U.S. where customs recently blocked import of HTC One X and Evo 4G for some time over a patent infringement.

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