HTC’s One mini is now cleared for landing in the UK. The Court of Appeals has issued a stay on the import and sales ban they faced when their handset was deemed to infringe on several Nokia patents. Though HTC will continue to fight the case, their One mini is now available for purchase.
The court had already issued a lift on the ban for the flagship One, noting it would severely damage the Taiwanese handset maker. The One mini didn’t originally see the same favor with the court, but now has a breath of fresh air. The lawsuit surrounds HTC’s infringing on Nokia patent number 08998024, which notes technology for “modulator structure for a transmitter and a mobile station”.
The technology is present in both HTC One devices in question, but it’s not quite their fault, so to speak. The presence of that feature in the One comes courtesy of Qualcomm, with whom Nokia has a licensing agreement in place. The same technology is also used by the likes of Apple, Blackberry, LG, and Sony — none of whom have been sued by Nokia. That was the central argument for HTC in their case, and has evidently caused enough concern in the Court of Appeals to grant a stay of execution.
For now, HTC will continue to fight the good fight. They don’t feel they’re uniquely culpable in this matter, but Nokia clearly does. Sadly, HTC can’t afford (perhaps literally) to have the One off shelves in a major market such as the UK. As they continue their downward trend, every sale matters.
