Congress mulls changes to patent lawsuit forum

July 19, 2012

 (Reuters) - A relatively obscure government agency at the center of a high stakes battle between the companies that make smartphones - Apple, Samsung Electronics, HTC and others - could well be headed for big changes.

The International Trade Commission, which was created to protect U.S. companies from unfair foreign competition, has evolved into a top venue for the high-tech patent wars over smartphones, chips and Blu-Ray devices because the ITC can more easily ban imports that infringe patents than district courts.

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