Edible Apple

The ongoing patent dispute between Nokia and Apple has both companies pulling out their big guns. Nokia got things started in October when it sued Apple for allegedly infringing on a number of patents relating to wireless LAN standards and GSM/UMTS networks. In early December, Apple countersued claiming that Nokia phones infringe on 13 Apple’s patent, while also adding that Nokia refuses to license its own patents to Apple on “fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms.”

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg..

In late December, Nokia responded to Apple’s countersuit with a complaint to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) wherein it wrote that virtually all of Apple’s products infringe, in some way or another, on Nokia patents pertaining to an array of technologies, including but not limited to power management, antenna technology, camera functionality, and even user interface design. Accordingly, Nokia is seeking a ruling which would effectively ban all imports of Apple products.

If you’re going to play ball, you might as well swing for the fences, right?

Apple, though, isn’t taking this lying down. They’ve vowed to defend Nokia’s lawsuits vigorously, and this past Friday, they filed their own motion with the US ITC seeking a similar ban on all imports of Nokia phones on the basis that they infringe on Apple patents.

The ITC is a government body responsible for ensuring that companies don’t engage in unfair trade practices, a mission which encapsulates alleged patent infringement. For what it’s worth, the ITC has not yet indicated whether or not it would investigate either Apple or Nokia’s claims, but a decision on whether or not to pursue Nokia’s claims should be reached by the end of the month.

We’ll post the text of Apple’s official ITC complaint when it becomes available.