Nokia expands litigation against Apple to 9 more countries
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Nokia said Thursday it has increased the number of patent suits launched against Apple from 32 to 40, spread across 11 countries in US, parts of Asia and Europe.
The move comes a day after Nokia revealing it was suing Apple for a number of patent infringements in the US and Germany, covering display, user interface, software, antenna, chipsets, video coding and other technologies used in devices such as the iPhone.
On Wednesday, Nokia filed lawsuits in three German courts and two lawsuits in a US court in Texas.
Nokia claimed Apple agreed to license some of its patents in 2011, but declined subsequent offers made by Nokia to license others of its technologies used by Apple products.
“After several years of negotiations trying to reach agreement to cover Apple’s use of these patents, we are now taking action to defend our rights,” said Ilkka Rahnasto, head of patent business at Nokia.
Nokia’s move comes a day after Apple filed on Tuesday an antitrust lawsuit against Acacia Research Corp and Conversant Intellectual Property Management, accusing them of colluding with Nokia to extract and extort exorbitant revenues unfairly from Apple.
The lawsuits now extend to Finland (3 patents), UK (3 patents), Italy (4 patents), Sweden (3 patents), Spain (1 patent), The Netherlands (3 patents), France (1 patent), Hong Kong (1 patent) and Japan (2 patents), Nokia revealed on Thursday.
In addition, Nokia has filed a complaint against Apple with the US International Trade Commission, which has the power to block the importation of products to the US if they are found to infringe patents. The USITC complaint covers eight patents.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which countries are now involved in Nokia's expanded patent litigation against Apple?
Which countries are now involved in Nokia's expanded patent litigation against Apple?
The lawsuits now span 11 countries, including the US and Germany mentioned earlier. The additional countries are Finland, UK, Italy, Sweden, Spain, The Netherlands, France, Hong Kong, and Japan, covering various patents across these regions.
Q.What is the total number of patent suits Nokia has filed against Apple?
What is the total number of patent suits Nokia has filed against Apple?
Nokia has increased the total number of patent suits launched against Apple from 32 to 40. These cases are spread across 11 different countries in the US, parts of Asia, and Europe.
Q.What reason has Nokia given for escalating its legal action against Apple?
What reason has Nokia given for escalating its legal action against Apple?
Nokia stated that Apple had licensed some patents in 2011 but declined later offers for other technologies. After several years of failed negotiations, Nokia is taking action to defend its rights regarding their patented technologies.
Q.What action has Apple taken in response to the patent dispute?
What action has Apple taken in response to the patent dispute?
Apple filed an antitrust lawsuit against Acacia Research Corp and Conversant Intellectual Property Management. Apple accused these companies of colluding with Nokia to unfairly extract and extort exorbitant revenues through patent claims.
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