Nokia gets into fresh tangle with Apple over phone patents

Nokia (NYSE:NOK) opened up a new front in its long-simmering patent feud with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), claiming the iPhone maker's products infringe on an additional 13 Nokia patents. 

The world's largest handset maker, which has been locked in a legal dispute with Apple over patents since October 2009, filed the new infringement claims in the United Kingdom, Germany and The Netherlands.

"These actions add 13 further Nokia patents to the 24 already asserted against Apple in the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Delaware and Wisconsin Federal courts," said Paul Melin, vice president of intellectual property at Nokia. "The Nokia inventions protected by these patents include several which enable compelling user experiences. For example, using a wiping gesture on a touch screen to navigate content, or enabling access to constantly changing services with an on-device app store, both filed more than ten years before the launch of the iPhone."

An Apple spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The fresh patent claims relate to a wide range of technologies, including touch user interfaces, on-device application storage, messaging functionality, chipsets, display illumination and the integration of multiple radios.

The legal battle between Apple and Nokia represents a precursor to similar complaints between Apple and HTC and Apple and Motorola (NYSE:MOT). 

Both Apple and HTC have filed patent-infringement claims with the ITC; a trial is expected to begin in February. Meanwhile, Apple and Motorola have each lodged ITC complaints against one another. The ITC said last week that it will review Apple's claims against Motorola. The cases have been seen as proxy fights between Apple and Android proponent Google (NASDAQ:GOOG). Android captured 25.5 percent of the global smartphone market in the third quarter, compared with 17 percent for Apple's iOS, according to research firm Gartner.

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