The ugly legal battle between two of the world’s leading smartphone makers has intensified, after Apple applied to have Nokia banned from importing its handsets into the US.
Nokia kickstarted legal proceedings in October, after claiming that the iPhone infringed 10 Nokia patents and demanded royalty payments for each of the iPhone models sold since 2007.
Apple retaliated with a countersuit that claimed Nokia was infringing 13 of its patents. Now Apple has gone to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) and requested that Nokia be banned from selling its handsets in the US.
Apple has characteristically refused to comment on proceedings, but Nokia claims that it “will study the complaint when it is received and continue to defend itself vigorously,” in a statement.
“However, this does not alter the fact that Apple has failed to agree appropriate terms for using Nokia technology and has been seeking a free ride on Nokia’s innovation since it shipped the first iPhone in 2007,” Nokia adds.
Analysts say the matter is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. “The fact that two such prominent companies have now filed complaints will likely mean the ITC will seek to deal with this as a matter of urgency,” Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight told Reuters. “That said, a lengthy legal battle is almost inevitable irrespective of a decision from the trade commission.”
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