Obama Administration Overrules iPhone Trade Ban

[wraggster]

Back in June (http://apple.slashdot.org/story/13/06/05/0234234/iphone-4-ipad-2-get-us-import-ban), the U.S. International Trade Commission issued an import ban on the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 3G due to patent violations. Now, the White House has exercised its privilege to overrule the ban (http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-white-house-overrules-trade-ban-on-apple-iphones-ipads-20130803,0,6108292.story). In his letter to the ITC (http://www.ustr.gov/sites/default/files/08032013%20Letter_1.PDF) (PDF), Ambassador Michael Froman said 'he was not making a decision about the merits of Samsung's case, or its right to seek compensation. Rather, he emphasized that because the patent in question was now a widely held technology standard, banning the products in question would be too disruptive to consumers and the economy.' This is the first time an ITC decision has been overruled since 1987.

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/13/08/03/1941212/obama-administration-overrules-iphone-trade-ban