In a further escalation of an already bitter feud, Nokia asked a federal court to bar the importation of Apple hardware including its iPhone, iPod and Mac products. Nokia's lawsuit, filed in federal court in Delaware, coincides with a complaint the company filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission last week.
The new lawsuit lists seven patents that Nokia said Apple is violating in its products, and seeks an injunction barring Apple from further infringement, as well as damages from Apple. Nokia had to file the federal lawsuit in addition to its complaint with the ITC because the trade commission does not make decisions about monetary compensation.
Nokia kicked off its battle with Apple in October with a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Delaware alleging Apple's iPhone infringes on ten Nokia patents. Apple fired back in December, alleging Nokia products infringe on 13 of its own patents. In its countersuit, Apple laid out in fiery rhetoric its position on the matter. "Other companies must compete with us by inventing their own technologies, not just by stealing ours," Bruce Sewell, Apple's general counsel, said in a statement at the time.
Not to be outdone: "Nokia has been the leading developer of many key technologies in small electronic devices" said Paul Melin, head of Nokia's patent-licensing efforts, in announcing the company's complaint with the ITC. "This action is about protecting the results of such pioneering development."
For more:
- see this Reuters article
- see this Computerworld article
- see this IDG News Service article
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