Nokia to Apple: 'Now it's war!'

Paul Nesbitt

Nokia has ramped up its US legal battle with Apple. Nokia, the world's largest phone vendor, has filed a second suit against Apple, accusing the iPhone maker of violating Nokia patented technologies in almost all Apple products, including the iPod and Mac ranges. And Nokia wants an injunction banning Apple from doing business!

Nokia's latest legal move asked a US Federal Court to block Apple from importing its hardware into the US from the Far East, where it is manufactured. Nokia's list of grievances against Apple is very similar to its initial lawsuit filed last October, which accused Apple of violating a wide range of its patented technologies, but then the company seemed more intent on using the lawsuit as part of its negotiations to extract a licensing fee for each iPhone Apple sold.

Nokia has also filed a suit with the US International Trade Commission (ITC), in which it claimed that Apple has infringed its patents in 'virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players and computers.'

However, Apple retaliated to Nokia's original suit by launching a countersuit in December, which accused Nokia of infringing Apple technologies the company introduced with the iPhone.

Nokia's original legal action followed its announcement of a third quarter loss of 426 million Euros and a 20% year-on-year slump in sales. By comparison Apple recently reported its most profitable quarter ever, driven in part by iPhone sales.

Nokia's latest legal action demands that its grievances be heard in a jury trial and that it Apple is found guilty of patent infringement, the iPhone maker pay damages with interest.