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HTC’s big event today isn’t enough to overshadow an issue the company is having with Germany’s customs officers.
According to the company, customs officers at the Frankfurt-Hahn airport held up HTC device shipments between February 4 and February 10. The seizure resulted from an ongoing patent war HTC is waging against patent-licensing company IPCom.
Foss Patents was first to report on the seizures.
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HTC has been battling IPcom over alleged patent infringement for years. In 2011, IPCom slapped HTC with a cease-and-desist order. Last year, however, HTC won a key ruling against IPCom after a court said a patent IPCom was including in its lawsuit was invalid.
Still, HTC and IPCom’s war continues.
HTC is no stranger to possible bans. Last year, IPCom attempted to halt HTC devices at the CeBIT show in Hanover, Germany. HTC’s devices were also held up after an Apple complaint against its products prompted a temporary import ban.
There’s currently no word on whether the devices that were seized have been released. However, according to Foss Patents, there are no reports of shortages in Germany.
Despite the trouble, HTC is celebrating today: it’s holding a big event to announce its new flagship handset.
