UPDATED 07:55 EST / JULY 03 2012

Apple Denied Emergency Ban On HTC Devices

Today’s mobile news roundup features HTC dodging Apple’s wrath, ICS now in more Android devices, and Nokia’s claims that the Nexus 7 infringes their patents.

HTC dodges Apple’s injunction bullet

Apple Inc. was not granted an emergency request to continue banning HTC devices from entering US soil by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

HTC’s devices, the One X and EVO 4G LTE, were held up at the US border back in May following Apple’s complaint that the said devices infringed their patent regarding a system to detect telephone numbers in e-mails.  The said patent allows users to tap the telephone numbers in e-mails to be stored or called.  HTC assured the U.S. Customs and Border Protection that they’ve addressed Apple’s concern and have found a way to work around the said patent infringement, but Apple still argues that the devices still infringe their patents.  The commission did not grant Apple’s emergency request stating that they need to further investigate Apple’s claims.

“The commission finds that Apple has not demonstrated the propriety of temporary emergency action here,” the Washington- based agency wrote. “The commission will not direct Customs to detain all subject HTC products because the commission does not have the information necessary to determine whether the respondents are currently violating the commission’s limited exclusion order.”

HTC also stated that they’ve redesigned their devices so as not to infringe Apple’s patent and what Apple is targeting now weren’t mentioned in their original complaint.

ICS now on more than 10% of Android devices

Google is proud to announce that the Android Ice Cream Sandwich is now on more than 10%, 10.7% to be exact, of all Android devices.  This may not come as a big new for some but for Google, this is quite an achievement, especially if you take into consideration how fragmented their OS update is.  Still, a year after the ICS was released and only a small percentage of the whole Android population?  That’s not a good look.

Still, we should consider that not all Android devices can be upgraded to ICS, even if they wanted to.  They’d have to stick to Gingerbread, the most popular version of Android.  Also, the increase in ICS users is attributed to the sales of ICS devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S III and the HTC One X, and not entirely on the ICS rollout.

In other Google news, they’ve updated their Google Places iOS app – it’s now known as Google+ Local.  The update includes voice search, improved user interface for searching paces that aren’t nearby, and switched to OAuth2 login for improved security, aside from the integration of Google+ and the ability to check Zagat ratings of nearby establishments.

Nokia out to get Nexus 7

The newly unveiled Nexus 7 is now being hit by patent trolls and the most vocal of all is Nokia, stating that Google and Asus did not seek to license the technology they used in the said device.

“Nokia has more than 40 licensees, mainly for its standards essential patent portfolio, including most of the mobile device manufacturers,” a Nokia spokesperson told The Inquirer.  “Neither Google nor Asus is licensed under our patent portfolio.”

The patent in question has something to do with the IEEE 802.11 WiFi standard.  But unlike Apple, Nokia isn’t likely to file for an injunction against the alleged infringing device.  Nokia may just strike a licensing agreement and ask for royalties.

“Companies who are not yet licensed under our standard essential patents should simply approach us and sign up for a license,” Nokia added.

Google and Asus have yet to comment on the issue.


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