Edible Apple

The ongoing patent dispute between Apple and Nokia was broadened today when Apple filed suit against the Finnish handset maker in the UK.

Bloomberg reports:

A copy of the complaint, filed yesterday in the U.K. High Court of Justice Chancery Division, wasn’t immediately available. Kristin Huguet, an Apple spokeswoman, said the case is related to patent-infringement claims that Apple lodged against Nokia in December in the U.S.

“This is an unsurprising development, which seems designed to put pressure on the ongoing dialogue between both companies,” said Mark Durrant, a Nokia spokesman. “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.”

The dispute began in October, when Espoo, Finland-based Nokia filed a lawsuit accusing Apple of infringing 10 patents. It demanded royalties on all iPhones sold since Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs, 55, introduced the device in 2007.