The US International Trade Commission (ITC) on Friday backed Apple in a

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) on Friday backed Apple in a patent battle with Taiwan’s leading smartphone maker HTC.

An ITC administrative law judge reportedly issued a preliminary finding that HTC violated two of 10 patents at issue in a complaint filed by Apple in March of last year. HTC maintains none of the ten were infringed.

The finding is to be reviewed by the full commission and could lead to a ban on imports of Android-powered HTC smartphones into the United States.

HTC vowed to fight Apple’s patent claims in an appeal to ITC commissioners.

The ITC has already ruled in a separate case that Apple infringed on patents held by HTC subsidiary S3 Graphics, according to the Taiwanese company.

As the legal battle between the rivals escalated, Apple filed a new compliant against HTC with the ITC on Monday involving patents related to iPads and iPhones. It has also lodged a suit against HTC in a US District Court in Delaware.

HTC touts its own brand of smartphones and also makes handsets for a number of leading US companies, including the Nexus One unveiled by Apple rival Google.

Apple filed a separate complaint against HTC with ITC over five other patents in the iPad and iPhone.

It has also lodged a suit in a US District Court in Delaware.

And last week Apple hit back at an infringement claim by Samsung by calling for the South Korean company to be investigated.

Source AFP