The Obama Administration Vetoes The iPhone 4 Sales Ban
August 3, 2013
The Obama administration on Saturday vetoed a U.S trade body’s ban on the sale of older Apple products, including the AT&T iPhone 4 and iPad 2. This was the first time since 1987 that a U.S. president had vetoed a product ban ordered by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), according to The Wall Street Journal.
U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said that the ban was vetoed because of concerns about patent holders gaining “undue leverage.”
In June, the ITC ruled that the AT&T versions of Apple’s iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, and iPad 2 infringed on patents owned by Samsung. As a result, the trade body issued a sales ban that was to begin this weekend.
The AT&T iPhone 4 and iPad 2 were the only devices affected by this ban since Apple has already discontinued the other two products. Additionally, the ban didn't affect the Verizon iPhone 4, which first launched in January 2011.
Froman said that Samsung could continue to pursue its patent rights through the courts.
