Apple has simplified a suit against Samsung Electronics with the U.S. International Trade Commission by dropping some claims, blog Foss Patents reported Wednesday.

The ITC suit is separate from a total of 31 lawsuits the two electronics giants have brought against each other in nine countries. The ITC can ban imports of a product if it concludes that a patent has been infringed.

Apple dropped one entire patent and some claims about two other patents from the ITC suit. The one it dropped concerns the activation mechanism of the volume control button on the side of a phone.

Samsung has also filed a five-count case against Apple with the ITC.

With a full review scheduled for May, the ITC has been advising both litigants to streamline their cases. Florian Mueller writes on Foss Patents, "It makes a lot of sense for Apple to drop it. Based on the claim construction order, this patent would have been a long shot, and Apple may be more successful pursuing it in federal court (where it may persuade a judge of a more favorable interpretation)."

The ITC will review the cases from late May until June 6.