US agency's Apple ruling hits Google’s Android phones

A US federal agency ruled yesterday that a set of important features commonly found in smartphones were protected by an Apple patent, a ruling that could lead to  changes in how Google's Android phones functioned.

Analysts say, this may prove to be one of the most significant rulings by the US International Trade Commission so far, in a growing array of closely-watched patent battles, which nearly all major players in the mobile industry are fighting. They add, the fights reflect the bitter competition between the companies, particularly with  Android phones gaining market share.

The disputes pertain to technology that drives several small but convenient features that would leave many people complaining if they were absent. For example, yesterday's case involved technology that allows people to call a phone number written in an e-mail or text message by tapping their finger once on the touch screen. It also involves technology allowing people to similarly schedule a calendar appointment, for a date mentioned in an e-mail.

According to a statement by HTC, the defendant in the case and a Taiwan-based mobile phone maker using the Android system, it would adapt its features to comply with the court's decision. The company described them as ''small'' parts of the user's experience.

However, the ruling only comes as a part victory for Apple, as the commission overruled an earlier decision in Apple's favour in the case,  that involved a different, more technical patent related to how software was organised internally on mobile devices. According to legal experts it would have been hard for HTC to adapt its devices to avoid infringing that patent.

The ruling by the six-member commission, whose mandate included initiating action against unfair trade practices by companies whose products were imported into the US, would bar HTC from selling phones in the US that infringed the patent starting 19 April.