SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal agency is siding with Apple and ordering an import ban on HTC phones that infringe on a patent belonging to the iPhone maker.
The U.S. International Trade Commission said Monday that the ban will take effect April 19 so that wireless carriers will have time to adjust their plans. The ITC says HTC may import some refurbished phones to offer customers as replacements under warranties and insurance plans.
It's not immediately known which phones are covered by the ban. HTC says the patent in question affects a small part of the user experience and it will soon remove it from any affected phones.
Apple spokeswoman Kristen Huguet reiterated an earlier statement, saying competitors should create their own technology.