breaking HTC One X, Evo 4G LTE blocked at US Customs (by Apple Patents)

[Roger H. Veteran]

The HTC One X and Evo 4G LTE are notable devices for many reasons, but today they become notorious: they're the first devices to face an import delay at US Customs for potentially infringing an Apple patent. We've learned today that the One X and Evo 4G LTE are indefinitely delayed at Customs as the agency investigates patent issues with Apple, and sources have further confirmed that some shipments are indeed being held back. The One X is also currently out of stock at AT&T's online store and at most AT&T retail stores we've called ? and few had any information on when more units would arrive.

Apple won a wide-ranging exclusion order banning the importation of HTC Android devices at the International Trade Commission last December ? the ITC found that Android's messaging app and browser infringed upon Apple patent #5,946,647, which covers automatically converting things like phone numbers and email addresses into actionable links that open a menu of options. The ban was delayed so HTC could engineer around Apple's patent claims, but it went into effect on April 19th ? and although HTC claimed so-called "data tapping" was a "small UI experience" that would be completely removed from its US Android devices, Customs is now reviewing the One X and Evo 4G LTE.

More at TheVerge.com - http://www.theverge....nfringing-apple

[techbeck]

why am I not surprised

[remixedcat]

why am I not surprised

this....

[NoLiMiT06]

Typical Apple bull****, serious competition threatens them so they have to sue everything that comes out anymore. What's next suing Huggies because the diapers are a square shape when they are in the package? I hate you Apple!

[Hell-In-A-Handbasket]

That's sucks, I thought they went with the designs specifically to not encroach patents.

The use of broad and vague patents are d**k moves on every company that uses them, apple included

[AbandonedTrolley]

What a crock of BS, so really, phones can no longer allow hyperlink type actions?

[Xerxes]

Typical Apple bull****, serious competition threatens them so they have to sue everything that comes out anymore. What's next suing Huggies because the diapers are a square shape when they are in the package? I hate you Apple!

To be honest, it's hardly their fault they are only protecting what is rightfully theirs (which they are legally obligated to do). Direct your anger at the government and the current state of the patent system, that allows companies like Apple to do this. Apple is merely taking advantage of an already broken system. Fix the system and companies like Apple can't do this crap anymore...that is my 2 cents, takes with a grain of salt. *dons flame proof suit* I suspect I'll get flamed for my opinion on this subject...:p

[(Spork)]

what was or is infringing on these patents ?

[(Spork)]

That's sucks, I thought they went with the designs specifically to not encroach patents.

The use of broad and vague patents are d**k moves on every company that uses them, apple included

i thought the same thing

[Dick Montage]

To be honest, it's hardly their fault they are only protecting what is rightfully theirs (which they are legally obligated to do). Direct your anger at the government and the current state of the patent system, that allows companies like Apple to do this. Apple is merely taking advantage of an already broken system. Fix the system and companies like Apple can't do this crap anymore...that is my 2 cents, takes with a grain of salt. *dons flame proof suit* I suspect I'll get flamed for my opinion on this subject...

This * 10000

what was or is infringing on these patents ?

Within the article - if you read it:

the ITC found that Android's messaging app and browser infringed upon Apple patent #5,946,647, which covers automatically converting things like phone numbers and email addresses into actionable links that open a menu of options

[Avi]

Are they kidding me? So Apple should pay royalties to mIRC... They had auto-hyperlinking in messages over a decade ago!

[NoLiMiT06]

To be honest, it's hardly their fault they are only protecting what is rightfully theirs (which they are legally obligated to do). Direct your anger at the government and the current state of the patent system, that allows companies like Apple to do this. Apple is merely taking advantage of an already broken system. Fix the system and companies like Apple can't do this crap anymore...that is my 2 cents, takes with a grain of salt. *dons flame proof suit* I suspect I'll get flamed for my opinion on this subject... :p

No I agree but I think my point is valid as well :D

[Boz]

To be honest, it's hardly their fault they are only protecting what is rightfully theirs (which they are legally obligated to do).

LOL.. yeah, no. They paid off who knows who to get a vague patent they knew they would use. This is that BS patent about clicking hyperlinks to call a number which by itself is really unknown (probably paid off heavily to the patent office) that Apple got this patented to begin with.

Apple is scared more then ever because these phones are so hot that a TON of people wants them and the only thing they can do (which is typical Apple thing btw) is they are trying every dirty anti-competitive thing in the book to prevent users to get the competitors' phones.

This is not about protecting anything legally.. They used their influence to STOP the new devices getting into user's hands. HTC complied with the BS patents Apple won and they are still prevented from importing the phones until ITC "rules" the phones are in compliance which doesn't have a deadline, they don't have to reveal the reason for this.

Although the ITC order was handed down before the One X was even announced at Mobile World Congress, it's open-ended enough to block importation of any HTC Android device ? the ITC broadly prohibited the importation of HTC "personal data and mobile communications devices" running Android that infringe the '647 patent. Customs and Border Protection is in charge of executing the order, and it's allowed to handle things pretty much any way it wants; there are really no formal rules governing how exclusion orders are interpreted or enforced. What's more, the final enforcement instructions delivered by Customs to its officers are totally classified ? they're even excluded from Freedom of Information Act requests. At this point HTC is basically in limbo while it waits for Customs to issue a decision.

Reeks of corruption and Apple's hands on this. It's disgusting. Such a rotten company who steals everyone's ideas and is paying off everyone to prevent companies competing with them.

This is not the first time.. Jobs was well known to prebook Fedex shipments so their competitors couldn't ship products for holidays. Awful company.

I just wish that other companies wise up, especially Google/Motorola and when they get bans when Apple breaks patents they should just go ahead and not settle but simply ban Apple's devices through and through.

[redvamp128]

To be honest, it's hardly their fault they are only protecting what is rightfully theirs (which they are legally obligated to do). Direct your anger at the government and the current state of the patent system, that allows companies like Apple to do this. Apple is merely taking advantage of an already broken system. Fix the system and companies like Apple can't do this crap anymore...that is my 2 cents, takes with a grain of salt. *dons flame proof suit* I suspect I'll get flamed for my opinion on this subject... :p

I agree, I can actually name numerous products non-Apple based that pre-dated this patent, however, you are correct. Apple is only using the patent they legally obtained. The other companies patent the same method but years earlier and called it data aggregation , for example Oracle had that in their database systems in 1995 which would scan emails and attachments to add to to the database... for example anything prefixed with (XXX) XXX-XXXX was a phone number and would add that with a prompt for the persons name or it would detect State abbreviation followed by XXXX - five digit code and automatically prompt the user to approve it as a address. The only problem now if Apple keeps this up they could wake some sleeping giants. What I mean by that statement is by them causing other products from coming to the market, they themselves are put up to the same short fall. Yes I said and will probably get flames for that one. I would not be surprised if someone comes out of the woodwork with a patent that Apple is violating and ask for their removal from the market place. Fair is Fair?

[techbeck]

. Apple is merely taking advantage of an already broken system.

And thats the problem and why this is a dbag move by Apple. If we all here can see that Apple is taking advantage of the system, the courts can see it as well.

And the patent they are wining about really is not that big of a deal and nothing to block shipments over.