Apple and HTC importing to U.S.

Apple and HTC importing to U.S.

Apple has filed a “data tapping” patent infringement complaint against HTC.

The patent states that a “system and method [which] causes a computer to detect and perform actions on structures identified in computer data.” The “data tapping” system covers how Android interacts with the UI, automatically identifying a phone number, email address or hyperlink and presenting the user with multiple execution options when tapped.

The ITC (Institute for Testing and Certification) gave HTC until April 19, 2012 to update the software on its phones before an exclusion order would prevent all infringing devices from being imported in the United States. The devices are HTC One X, HTC One S, HTC One V, HTC Inspire 4G, HTC Vivid, HTC Status, HTC Sensation, HTC Sensation 4G, HTC Wildfire, HTC Wildfire S, HTC Hero, HTC Hero S, HTC EVO 4G LTE, HTC EVO 4G, HTC EVO V 4G, HTC EVO Design 4G, HTC EVO 3D, HTC Amaze 4G, HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE, HTC myTouch 4G, HTC myTouch 4G Slide, HTC Rezound, HTC Rhyme, HTC ThunderBolt, HTC Flyer, HTC Jetstream, HTC EVO View 4G and Droid Incredible 2 by HTC.

Unfortunately, Apple was not satisfied and has issued another complaint with the ITC regarding the same ”data tapping” patent though HTC’s tweaks change the way the OS interacts with links, phone numbers and emails by allowing users to select application associations within the phone’s settings. Initially at the time of ITC’s ruling, HTC claimed that the patent is a small UI experience and they will completely remove it from all of their phones soon.

Under inspection, Apple is showing off Android’s menu which shows up when long-pressing a link which gives users the option to open the link in the browser, share it with another application or copy the URL. These things are present on all computer operating systems now-a-days and most likely do not fall under Apple’s patent.

Apple has also claimed that the Galaxy Nexus phones violate the same "data tap" patent, as well as slide to unlock, word completion, and methods of unified search.