A US trade agency will review Apple Inc's patent-infringement complaint against Taiwanese phone maker HTC.
Apple has been unable to stop the Android juggernaut by using things like competition and has instead been attempting to stop its rivals claiming patent violations. The International Trade Commission said that it will investigate Apple's claims that HTC infringed five patents related to software architecture and user interfaces in portable electronic devices, hardware for touch screens and movement sensors.
In June, a judge said HTC infringed two other Apple patents. If the six-member commission that is reviewing the case agrees, an import ban could be ordered on some HTC phones that run on Google Inc's Android operating system.
HTC has said it will challenge last month's findings and denies nicking any of Apple's ideas.
