Reports say that a US judge has made significant comments about the recent battle involving technology patents between smartphone industry rivals Apple and HTC. The source of the reports, Bloomberg, have release comments made by a US judge who has said that Apple will have a huge problem on their hand in encountering a couple of patents related to data transmission and wireless devices. The consequences could be so severe that the verdicts may result in iPad and iPhone 5 being banned in the US.

apple htc in court

HTC Thunderbolt Patents Infringed By Apple

HTC say that the patents in concern are to do with the 4G mobile broadband technology and therefore directly affect the third generation iPad and the yet to be announced iPhone 5. In this particular trial, HTC are claiming that Apple have infringed patents which they had acquired for the HTC Thunderbolt. Judge Thomas Pender of the US International Trade Commission revealed, “Clear and convincing means something to me, I have to be pretty darn certain a U.S. patent is invalid.” He also added that Apple’s claim of HTC acquiring the patents just to sue Apple is irrelevant and insignificant as they are a property right.

Apple Might Close Down Previous Cases Against HTC

The deciding factor in the case will be the extent of use of the technology mentioned in the HTC smartphones. HTC’s statement pretty much sums it up saying that it has bought the patents “to protect itself and its customers from these aggressive tactics and to preserve its ability to compete in the United States.” You can’t blame HTC for working with such tactics after witnessing the Apple – Samsung court debacle. If Apple feels that it can’t fight the patents in the court, then surely it will look for a settlement playing into the hands of HTC who in return could ask for settlement in cases which Apple filed against them. Earlier this year, HTC claimed a triumph over Apple in the U.K. High Court, after a judge ruled that three of the four Apple-owned patents in Europe were worthless. HTC was not found to have trespassed the fourth patent, which was associated to photo management software.