Apple has accused HTC of infringing five patents related to software architecture and user interfaces in portable electronic devices, hardware for touch screens and movement sensors. The complaint was filed on July 8  with the US International Trade Commission in Washington. The move has the potency to stop US imports of the Taiwanese company’s phones and its news Flyer tablet computers.
 
The complaint is the second Apple has filed against Taoyuan , Taiwan-based HTC. Apple has been using the trade commission, which has the power to block products from the US market , to pursue makers of mobile phones that run Google''s Android operating system and compete with its iPhone.

With the filing of the complaint against HTC, and one filed July 5 against Samsung Electronics , Apple is expanding the battle to tablet computers that challenge the market position of the iPad.
 
A Bloomberg report quoted Grace Lei , HTC's general counsel as saying  "HTC is dismayed that Apple has resorted to competition in the courts rather than the marketplace ," said. "HTC continues to vehemently deny all of Apple's past and present claims against it and will continue to protect and defend its own intellectual property as it has already done this year." In March, HTC released the Flyer, its first tablet device in the U.S. to rival Apple's iPad and Samsung's Galaxy Tab.