Edible Apple

Nokia on Tuesday responded to Apple’s countersuit by filing a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission alleging Apple has been infringing on Nokia’s patents in “virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, and computers” sold.

In its complaint, Nokia specifically references seven patents relating to a varying number of technologies, including but not limited to the following areas: antenna, power management, camera, and user interface.

Nokia manager Paul Melin had this to say about the complaint:

Nokia has been the leading developer of many key technologies in small electronic devices. This action is about protecting the results of such pioneering development.

Meanwhile, a Nokia spokesman stated earlier that the ITC will decide if the complaint is worth pursuing sometime in the next 30 days.

Nokia’s action is the latest move in an ongoing battle with Apple over patent rights. If you recall, Nokia first sued Apple back in October for allegedly infringing on a number of patents relating to wireless standards and GSM and UMTS networks. Two months later, Apple countersued Nokia for infringing upon 13 of Apple’s patents. 

In a press release on the matter, Apple General Counsel Bruce Sewell even went so far as to flat out accuse Nokia of stealing Apple’s technology because they weren’t capable of competing with the iPhone otherwise. And in regards to Nokia’s accusations, Apple argues that some of Nokia’s patents aren’t valid, and moreover, asserts that even if they were found to be valid, Nokia refuses to license them on “fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms.”

Given the iPhone’s meteroic rice and the corresponding decline of Nokia’s Symbian platform, some have speculated that Nokia is getting desperate to retain its marketshare which has steadily wilted over the past few years, and is seeking to sue its way back to prominence. 

Regardless of the merits of each side, one thing we know for sure is that focusing on litigation instead of innovation is never a good idea. Apple, for its part, has vowed to fight Nokia’s legal action vigorously.