UK Court Rules HTC Doesn't Infringe On Apple's Patents

Various phone companies are trading blows in the courts over alleged patent infringements, and a new ruling out of the UK shows that HTC doesn't infringe Apple's patents. Apple took HTC to court in the UK over four patents, although the judge in the case, Christopher Floyd, ruled that three of those patents are invalid. Bloomberg reports that while Apple's final patent is valid, HTC doesn't infringe on it on current devices.

Apple's patents related to slide-to-unlock, scrolling through photos, changing the keyboard alphabet, and the ability to touch two spots on the screen simultaneously. Judge Floyd ruled that three of those patents are invalid. The photo patent, while valid, hasn't been infringed by HTC.

Cupertino didn't specifically comment on today's ruling, but did issue a statement via email: "Competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours." A spokeswoman for HTC says that the company is pleased with the verdict, but that "we remain disappointed that Apple continues to favor competition in the courtroom over competition in the marketplace." The same four patents are due to be scrutinized by a German court later in the year.

Apple, meanwhile, has seen better success against Samsung in the United States. The company recently scored a ban against the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Nexus. Both companies are also due to enter court relating to patent and design infringements on July 30th.