Legal battles between Apple and Nokia have been ongoing in the US over smartphone technology but the fight has just moved to the UK.
Apple Inc. said it filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Nokia Oyj in the UK, reports Bloomberg.
The complaint – which relates to patent-infringement claims that Apple lodged against Nokia in December in the US – was filed yesterday in the UK High Court of Justice Chancery Division.
Nokia spokesperson Mark Durrant said this was an “unsurprising development”.
“It changes nothing in the fundamentals of the matter, which are rooted in Apple’s refusal to respect Nokia’s intellectual property and attempt to free ride on the back of Nokia’s innovation,” he said.
Durrant added that litigation is always Nokia’s final resort but the company will continue to “defend itself to the utmost”.
The dispute began in October when Finnish company Nokia began proceedings against Apple, accusing the company of infringing 10 patents. It demanded royalties on all iPhones sold since its introduction.
The US trade body, ITC, has said Nokia’s case against Apple is scheduled for 29 November, while some of Apple’s claims against Nokia will be heard at trial from 1 November.
Article courtesy of Businessandleadership.com
