HTC Completed Workaround to Skirt a U.S. Apple Patent Ruling ⇥

The Apple patent in question specifies that…

A system and method causes a computer to detect and perform actions on structures identified in computer data. […] [T]he user interface can present and enable selection of the detected structures, and upon selection of a detected structure, present the linked candidate actions. Upon selection of an action, the action processor performs the action on the detected structure.

It covers the detection of phone numbers, parcel tracking numbers and so on. Apple was granted a ban of HTC devices that infringe upon the patent on December 19, but HTC isn’t worried:

“It’s actually quite rarely used,” HTC Chief Executive Officer Peter Chou said of the feature.

Well I’ll be damned.