Apple wins first battle with HTC

Apple Inc won a US trade case brought by HTC Corp's S3 Graphics over ways to make images appear three-dimensional on an electronic display, the first definitive patent ruling affecting smartphone imports. The US International Trade Commission said S3's patent rights weren't violated by Apple, according to a notice released Monday on the agency's website. The commission gave no reason for its ruling and the decision will be released after both sides have a chance to redact confidential information. The decision marks the first time the six-member commission has ruled on one of the dozen cases at the agency stemming from the battle for the smartphone market. A victory for HTC could have led to a ban on imports of Apple products, including some Mac computers, the iPhone and iPad tablet computer. ‘First blow'