How does a tidbit of mobile legal news to wrap up the week sound? Today the U.S. International Trade Commission handed down its final decision concerning a patent complaint made by HTC against Apple that was first filed back in May 2010. Last October, the ITC ruled that Apple was not in violation of the four HTC patents, and then in December a six-person ITC commission agreed to review the decision with regard to one of the four patents. The commission issued its ruling earlier today, saying that Apple didn't violate the final HTC patent. 

So unless HTC decides to file an appeal, it looks like we can cross one of the lawsuits off the list of cases that are floating around the mobile world. Of course, there are other suits that are still going on, including this one between Apple and HTC that the Taiwanese firm filed back in September. We've also seen several legal spats involving Apple, Samsung and Motorola surface as of late. We'll have to wait to see just who will come out on top in each case, but one thing that seems like a sure bet is that these patent suits won't be slowing down any time soon.

Via FOSS Patents, ITC (PDF)