In response to Apple's legal challenge, Grace Lei, HTC's general counsel, said in a statement Tuesday that HTC is disappointed that Apple is suing its competitors instead of competing fairly in the market, reported by Agence France Press.

Last week, Apple asked the US Internationa Trade Commission once again to block the import of hardware the company believes infringes on patents it owns.

HTC is disappointed at Apple's constant attempts at litigations instead of competing fairly in the market, Lei said in the statement. HTC strongly denies all infringement claims by Apple in the past and present and reiterates our determination and commitment to protect our intellectual property rights.

Apple's fight with HTC began in March 2010 when the iPad maker accused the Taiwan-based company of infringing on 20 patents related to the iPhone's user interface, underlying architecture and hardware. In another statement, Apple's Chief Executive Steve Jobs said he believes competition in the industry is healthy, but that competitors like HTC should not steal Apple's technology.

HTC retaliated last year, suing Apple of infringing on five patents. The company asked the International Trade Commission to ban the import of Apple products into America, including the iPhone, iPad, and iPod.

Among other lawsuits, Apple is still engaged in a legal fight with Samsung at the International Trade Commission. Its latest complaint requested the commission to block the import of Samsung devices, including its Galaxy S phone and Galaxy Tab touchscreen tablet.

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