Nokia sues Apple for patent infringement

John Chan | Oct 23, 2009

Nokia is suing Apple for infringing on its patents for GSM, UMTS and wireless LAN standards. In a press release, the Finland-based company said "10 patents… are infringed by all Apple iPhone models". It also highlighted the fact that about 40 other companies, including leading mobile device vendors, also make use of these patents but they have license agreements with Nokia. In other words, everyone's paid up but Apple.

Now, some may wonder why it took Nokia two years to flex its legal muscle, and some may even think that the success of the iPhone could be the cause of this action. However, according to a Guardian report, the two companies have actually been in negotiations and failed to reach a settlement, leading to the lawsuit.

Apple's no stranger to litigation, but many times, it's the one doing the suing. Given Nokia's market leader position and the huge popularity of the iPhone, this should be a fight worth watching.

Filed under: Mobile Phones
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