Nokia Sues Apple For Patent Infringement

Nokia has taken its legal spat with Apple across the pond to Europe, where the mobile phone maker is accusing Apple of violating 13 patents in the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

Nokia said Thursday that it has filed a suit against Apple in Britain, Germany, and the Netherlands. The latest salvo is one of many that have occurred since Nokia sued the computer maker for patent infringement in the U.S. in October 2009, which led to a countersuit by Apple two months later.

Nokia is waging the court battle as its standing as the world's largest cellular phone maker is being whittled away by Apple in the high-end of the smartphone market. Apple's iPhone, first released in 2007, redefined the smartphone and Nokia has been playing catch up ever since. While the merits of either company's lawsuit await scrutiny by the courts, if Nokia was to ultimately win, it could have an impact on the iPhone's design.

The latest action adds 13 more patents to the 24 Nokia has already said Apple violates. Among the technologies covered in the latest suits, is one that enables a smartphone user to navigate content by a "wiping gesture" across the device' touch screen. Another enables real-time access to an online application store. Both patents were filed more than 10 years ago, according to Nokia.

Apple was not immediately available for comment.

Nokia has filed the latest claims in the U.K. High Court, the Dusseldorf and Mannheim District Courts in Germany and the District Court of The Hague, Netherlands. In the U.S., Nokia and Apple have asked the International Trade Commission to stop the other from importing components for their patent-infringing devices. Decisions are pending.

Besides the ITC, Nokia, based in Finland, has lawsuits against Apple pending in the Delaware and Wisconsin federal courts. Apple filed its countersuit in the Delaware federal court.

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