"Virtually all" Apple devices infringe our patents, says Nokia

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 30 December 2009 06:28

IT Industry - Strategy

Nokia has fired a fresh salvo in a tit-for-tat patent war with Apple, claiming that Apple infringes Nokia patents in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, and computers.

In this latest development, Nokia has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (USITC) alleging that seven Nokia patents are being used by Apple to create key features in its products in the areas of user interface, camera, antenna and power management technologies.

"These patented technologies are important to Nokia's success as they allow better user experience, lower manufacturing costs, smaller size and longer battery life for Nokia products," Nokia claims. It has provided no information on the specific patents concerned.

The move follows Nokia in October filing a complaint against Apple with the Federal District Court in Delaware alleging that Apple's iPhone infringed 10 Nokia patents for GSM, UMTS and wireless LAN  standards.
 
Nokia said: "The ten patents...relate to technologies fundamental to making devices which are compatible with one or more of the GSM, UMTS (3G WCDMA) and wireless LAN standards. The patents cover wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption and are infringed by all Apple iPhone models shipped since the iPhone was introduced in 2007."

Nokia said that these patents had been declared essential to industry standards and that it had already successfully entered into license agreements for them with approximately 40 companies, including "virtually all the leading mobile device vendors."

According to Ilkka Rahnasto, vice president, legal & intellectual property at Nokia, "The basic principle in the mobile industry is that those companies who contribute in technology development to establish standards create intellectual property, which others then need to compensate for. Apple is also expected to follow this principle. By refusing to agree appropriate terms for Nokia's intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation."

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