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HTC: Our phones don't infringe Apple patent

HTC believes it's free and clear of infringing on a key Apple patent despite allegations to the contrary by the iPhone maker.

This week, Apple filed its third complaint against HTC in the past three years with the U.S. International Trade Commission. The company is alleging that HTC is still violating the same Apple patents that triggered a recent ban on imports of the HTC One X and Evo 4G LTE.

Following the initial complaint, HTC said that it took steps to work past Apple's U.S. Patent No. 5,946,647, also known as the data … Read more

Import bans over patents cause 'substantial harm,' FTC says

Google's efforts to block imports of Microsoft's Xbox and Apple's iPhone could cause "substantial harm" to consumers, competition, and innovation, the Federal Trade Commission said in a letter today.

The letter -- addressed to the U.S. International Trade Commission, a federal agency with the power to enforce bans on products shipping to the U.S. -- suggested companies should be limited in their ability to block competitors' imports based on patents that are built into industry standards.

"Simply put, we are concerned that a patentee can make a RAND [reasonable and nondiscriminatory] commitment … Read more

HTC's One X and Evo 4G LTE pass Customs inspections

After a two-week-long Customs delay, shipments of HTC's One X and Evo 4G LTE are flowing unfettered into the U.S., the company announced today.

"HTC has completed the review process with U.S. Customs and HTC devices have been released, as they are in compliance with the ITC's ruling," the company said in a statement. "Future shipments should continue to enter the U.S. and we are confident that we will soon be able to meet the demand for our products."

The two smartphones were put in limbo earlier this month over unresolved … Read more

Microsoft legal win over Google may signal ceasefire

So much for the power of Motorola's patents.

Google, which spent $12.5 billion to acquire Motorola and its patents in a deal that closed Tuesday, has suffered a major legal defeat at the hands of Microsoft, which successfully argued to a German court that Motorola has violated a patent related to text messaging.

The ruling means Microsoft can enforce a ban on Android products in Germany. But more importantly, it could signal an end to at least one long-running dispute between Microsoft and Android players. In the increasingly popular game of technology legal warfare, the side that gets … Read more

Texting while walking? In N.J. town, it'll cost you

Texting while walking could land you a ticket in Fort Lee, N.J.

As with most other states, texting while driving is already banned in the state. But now, Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli is also holding pedestrians accountable for their "dangerous walking," including texting-while-trekking -- if it leads to them ignoring crosswalks and lights.

There have been 23 pedestrian accidents since January, Ripoli told CBS New York. While most were minor, three fatalities were reported.

"They're not alert and they're not watching what they're doing," Ripoli told CBS New York's Derricke Dennis. "As of now, [officers are] to give summonses to pedestrians who do not adhere to crosswalks and the lights."

Ripoli, however, told MSNBC that his town is not specifically banning texting while walking.

Folks who are texting while walking in Fort Lee are issued a jaywalking ticket, but only if they also happen to be jaywalking at the same time, the article says. … Read more

Nothing permanent about Apple's ban on Motorola

Will Motorola Mobility's smartphones get shut out of the German market? Probably not.

But that is the latest breathless headline flying around the Interwebs. A German court ruled that Motorola's smartphones infringed on Apple's slide-to-unlock technology, or the swipe that your finger makes on your phone to get it out of its lock screen. As a result, the court has placed in injunction, or ban, on Motorola smartphones.

Only the ban may not stick. Motorola will certainly appeal the ruling, which could hold up the ultimate decision for another few months. Or it could work on a … Read more

Doomsday Clock moves 1 minute closer to catastrophe

Tick, tock. The infamous Doomsday Clock, which represents how close mankind supposedly is to its annihilation, has been moved one minute closer to midnight.

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (BAS), which created and maintains the symbolic clock, announced its decision yesterday.

"It is five minutes to midnight. Two years ago, it appeared that world leaders might address the truly global threats that we face. In many cases, that trend has not continued or been reversed. For that reason, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is moving the clock hand one minute closer to midnight, back to its time in … Read more

Transportation secretary won't back ban on hands-free calls

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said today he does not support a proposal to prohibit drivers from making hands-free cell phone calls.

"The problem is not hands-free," LaHood told reporters at the department's headquarters, according to a Detroit News report. "That is not the big problem in America."

The pronouncement came a week after the National Transportation Safety Board urged states to ban the use of cell phones and other portable electronic devices while driving. The NTSB doesn't have the authority to actually impose restrictions, but its recommendations often influence federal regulators as well as … Read more

HTC loses key patent battle: How does it affect you?

Apple scored a legal victory yesterday over HTC, albeit a limited one.

The International Trade Commission, a federal agency with the power to enforce bans on products shipping to the U.S., ruled that HTC infringed upon one of Apple's patents. While clearly a win for the company, it could have gone a lot better; Apple originally accused HTC of violating 10 patents.

In a statement to CNET, HTC general counsel Grace Lei said: "We are gratified that the commission affirmed the judge's initial determination on the '721 and '983 patents, and reversed its decision on the '… Read more