Nokia has fired a fresh salvo in its patent war with Apple, filing lawsuits in several European countries alleging multiple infringements of its IP.
Suits filed with courts in Germany, the Netherlands and UK allege Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch infringe 13 Nokia patents, bringing the total tally of patents Nokia claims Apple infringes to 37, including 24 named in US lawsuits.
The European patents cover touch user interface, on-device app stores, signal noise suppression, modulator structures, antenna structures, messaging functionality, chipsets, caller ID, display illumination, radio integration, and data card functionality.
Paul Melin, Nokia’s vice president of IP, said several of the patents “enable compelling user experiences,” and the vendor stated none have been declared essential to any wireless standard – which would require it to license them at fair and reasonable rates.
The European action is the latest in a continuing tit-for-tat battle between the two smartphone makers that started when Nokia accused Apple of infringing ten patents in a suit filed with the US ITC in October 2009.
Apple hit back in December 09 claiming Nokia infringed 13 of its patents and expanded its complaint in January.
Nokia countered with a separate lawsuit filed in a US district court in May.