A U.S. International Trade Commission judge ruled today that HTC’s products do not infringe on several digital-imaging patents held by FlashPoint. The patent dispute focused on technology which was developed and patented by FlashPoint which controls the way a digital camera operates, including the control lens focusing, flash, image rotation based on camera orientation, and much more. FlashPoint stopped development of its digital camera operating system in 2007 and has since focus on licensing its patent portfolio.
FlashPoint still has the opportunity to appeal the ruling by the single ITC judge before the case is presented before a full six-member ITC panel in Washington. The ruling in HTC’s favor is quite surprising since LG and RIM recently settled with FlashPoint and agreed to pay licensing fees over these same patents. We’re not sure what the final outcome of this patent dispute will be, but we’re keeping out fingers crossed and hoping HTC comes out on top.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
