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Oh dear, this is certainly not good news for HTC, and especially users who were looking to get their hands on the latest HTC Android devices in the states.
It would seem that the import of both the HTC One X for AT&T and the HTC EVO 4G LTE have been delayed indefinitely by U.S Customs, the reason being is that they potentially infringe on Apple’s patent number 5,946,647.
This issue has arisen due to the fact that Apple won an exclusion order back in December last year against HTC at the International Trade Commission. The ITC found that HTC’s messaging and browser apps infringed on Apple’s patent, which relates to the method in which phone numbers and email addresses are automatically converted to links that can open a menu of options.
The ban on HTC smartphones was initially delayed so that the company could engineer a workaround, although the ban became effective on April 19th. HTC said that the so-called “data tapping” was a small UI experience and assured that it would be removed from its U.S Android devices. So with the latest batch of devices reaching the U.S, Customs (who are in charge of executing the order) have seized these and are reviewing whether this is the case with the One X and the EVO 4G LTE.
HTC released an official statement on the matter below:
The US availability of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE has been delayed due to a standard U.S. Customs review of shipments that is required after an ITC exclusion order. We believe we are in compliance with the ruling and HTC is working closely with Customs to secure approval. The HTC One X and HTC Evo 4G LTE have been received enthusiastically by customers and we appreciate their patience as we work to get these products into their hands as soon as possible.
If we get any further info about the recent ban, you can be assured we’ll keep you updated.
Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.
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