An ITC judge issued a preliminary determination that Lenovo's smartphones infringe Ericsson's 5G wireless technology patents, granting Ericsson a preliminary victory in its patent licensing dispute.
Representatives from both companies did not provide immediate comments regarding the ruling.
The full commission is expected to release a final decision on Ericsson's claims in April. In a related case last month, another ITC judge ruled in favor of Lenovo.
Ericsson lodged its complaint with the ITC in Washington last year, asserting that Motorola's Moto G, Edge, and Razr smartphone lines infringe on patents associated with wireless communications. Lenovo has denied these claims.
Furthermore, the firms are engaged in patent litigation across South America, the United Kingdom, and North Carolina. In Brazil and Colombia, Ericsson has obtained preliminary injunctions against Lenovo smartphone sales based on alleged patent infringement.
In October, a U.S. appeals court reversed the lower court's decision, reinstating Lenovo's request for an injunction to prevent enforcement of the South American sales bans.