James Delahunty
16 Dec 2010 21:36
Finnish mobile phone firm Nokia has filed patent infringement complaints against Apple Inc. in the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands.
"These actions add 13 further Nokia patents to the 24 already asserted against Apple in the US International Trade Commission and the Delaware and Wisconsin Federal courts," said Paul Melin, vice president, Intellectual Property at Nokia.
A complaint filed in the High Court in the UK covers four Nokia patents. They relate to the touch user interface, on-device app stores, signal noise suppression and modular structures.
In the Dusseldorf District Court in Germany, a complaint was filed by Nokia against Apple that cites several patents held by the Finnish giant. The patents relate to a touch user interface, antenna structures, messaging functionality and chipsets. Another complaint filed in Germany, in the Mannheim District Court, cites five Nokia patents related to on-device app stores, caller ID, display illumination and the integration of multiple radios.
A complaint filed against Apple in the Hague in the Netherlands, cites two Nokia patents related to signal noise suppression and data card functionality.
Nokia has invested over €40 billion in R&D over the last two decades and claims one of the wireless industry's strongest and broadest IPR portfolios, with around 11,000 patent families. None of the asserted patents in Nokia's latest litigation against Apple have been declared essential to any wireless communication standard.
"The Nokia inventions protected by these patents include several which enable compelling user experiences. For example, using a wiping gesture on a touch screen to navigate content, or enabling access to constantly changing services with an on-device app store, both filed more than ten years before the launch of the iPhone."