Taiwanese handset vendor HTC, the first company to release an Android handset, has taken legal action against Apple for patent infringement, filing a complaint with the US International Trade Commission, asking it to “halt the importation and sale of the iPhone, iPad and iPod in the United States.”

HTC said that the complaint outlines five patent infringements, but did not specify which patents were allegedly breached. The move is a response to a similar suit brought against HTC by Apple in March this year. In a suit filed with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) and in the US District Court in Delaware, Apple alleged that HTC had infringed on 20 Apple patents related to the iPhone’s user interface, underlying architecture and hardware.

“As the innovator of the original Windows Mobile PocketPC Phone Edition in 2002 and the first Android smartphone in 2008, HTC believes the industry should be driven by healthy competition and innovation that offer consumers the best, most accessible mobile experiences possible,” said Jason Mackenzie, vice president of North America, HTC Corporation. “We are taking this action against Apple to protect our intellectual property, our industry partners, and most importantly our customers that use HTC phones.”