HTC One Mini sales banned in the UK following Nokia injunction
HTC and Nokia are in the middle of a patent spat right now, with the former being accused of violating the latter’s EP 0 998 024 patent in the UK. The patent details a “modular structure for a transmitter and a mobile station,” which specifically ties into the HAAC microphones HTC has been using in many of their latest phones.
The High Courts of England have found that HTC has infringed on the patent, and has such granted Nokia with a temporary injunction on sales in the UK for devices which violate the documents. HTC was able to get a stay of injunction on their 4.7-inch flagship HTC One while they go through the appeals process, but they weren’t so lucky with other phones caught in the crossfire.
The HTC One Mini has suffered an immediate ban, putting HTC in a tough spot as they await a potentially lengthy appeals process to be carried out. HTC won’t just sit on their hands while they wait for the courts to make a decision, though — they’re looking to address the issue with the help of their chipset vendors as soon as possible.
We’re not sure how long it would take for them to go from research and development on a new component to full production of new models of these smartphones, but it’s going to have to be something that is prioritized if they want to make sure unit sales for all their latest products aren’t affected. We’re still in the early days of this thing, but we’ll be keeping an eye on it to see which path HTC is forced to take from here. Read on for HTC’s full statement to the press on the matter.
HTC is pleased by the decision of the High Court of England and Wales to stay an injunction against certain chipsets, including those in our flagship HTC One, pending the outcome of our appeal against the validity and infringement of Nokia’s EP 0 998 024 patent. Whilst the Court also granted an injunction that affects other third party chipsets, we have filed urgent application to appeal. In the meantime, we are working with our chip suppliers to explore alternative solutions . As always, HTC’s primary focus is on supporting our customers and ensuring minimal disruption to them and our business. Rest assured that our award winning HTC One handset will be available as usual.
[via Bloomberg]