HTC counter-sues Apple in phone patent spat

Wants all iDevices banned from the US

Taiwan-based maker of mobile phones, High Tech Computer Corp (HTC) said it has  filed a patent infringement complaint against Apple.

The firm claims the US toy maker's products infringe five of its patents and wants all iPhones, IPads and IPods banned from being imported into the United States from the far east. 

Apple claimed in a similar suit filed in March that HTC infringes on 20 iPhone patents. HTC then bit back to say it has its own patents, so there!

Now it has filed a formal complaint with the US International Trade Commission in Washington.

"We are taking this action against Apple to protect our intellectual property, our industry partners, and most importantly our customers that use HTC phones," HTC vice president of North America Jason Mackenzie said in a statement. 

"HTC believes the industry should be driven by healthy competition and innovation that offer consumers the best, most accessible mobile experiences possible," he added.

HTC is Taiwan's biggest smartphone maker, churning out phones like the Nexus One for Google, as well as marketing its own handsets such as the HTC Desire (pictured).