Nokia sues Apple in Wisconsin for infringement of Nokia patents

Finnish handsets maker Nokia today said that it has filed a complaint against Apple with the Federal District Court in the Western District of Wisconsin, alleging that Apple iPhone and iPad 3G products infringe five important Nokia patents.

The patents in question relate to technologies for enhanced speech and data transmission, using positioning data in applications and innovations in antenna configurations that improve performance and save space, allowing smaller and more compact devices. These patented innovations are important to Nokia's success as they allow improved product performance and design.

"Nokia has been the leading developer of many key technologies in mobile devices" said Paul Melin, General Manager, Patent Licensing at Nokia. "We have taken this step to protect the results of our pioneering development and to put an end to continued unlawful use of Nokia's innovation."

Nokia said that during the last two decades, it had invested approximately euro 40 billion in research and development and built one of the wireless industry's strongest and broadest IPR portfolios, with over 11,000 patent families.

Earlier in October 2009, Nokia had filed a complaint with the federal district court in Delaware, in the US, alleging that "Apple's iPhone infringes Nokia patents for GSM, UMTS and wireless LAN (WLAN) standards."

The 10 alleged patent infringements involve wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption. The breaches applied to all models of the iPhone since its launch in 2007, Nokia added. (See: Nokia sues Apple for patent infringement )