Nokia sues Apple

by Nauman Umair Khan | October 22, 2009 at 03:07 pm

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Nokia, the Finnish-based world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, has sued Apple over alleged breach of it's patents.

Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, today launched a legal attack on Apple in the US courts, alleging the iPhone infringes 10 of its patents. The move could cost the Californian technology firm tens of millions of dollars.

The two companies were having negotiations for quite a while but they failed to reach any consensus. Nokia has filed a complaint with the Federal District Court but the case, however, is unlikely to come to court until the end of 2011.

The two companies have been locked in long-running negotiations to agree a deal that would see Apple pay a licence fee to use technology Nokia developed, which is fundamental to the way a mobile phone works and is already in the iPhone. Talks failed to reach a settlement and Nokia has filed a complaint against Apple with the Federal District Court in Delaware.

The case, however, is unlikely to come to court until the end of 2011. Apple can continue to develop and ship the iPhone, which has rapidly eaten into Nokia's share of the lucrative smartphone market since its launch in 2007.