iLounge

By Charles Starrett

Senior Editor, iLounge
Published: Monday, January 18, 2010
News Category: Apple

Apple has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission, asking it to block Nokia imports to the U.S. Nokia responded to the complaint via a spokesman, who said, “Nokia will study the complaint when it is received and continue to defend itself vigorously. However, this does not alter the fact that Apple has failed to agree appropriate terms for using Nokia technology and has been seeking a free ride on Nokia’s innovation since it shipped the first iPhone in 2007.” Apple overtook Nokia as the cellphone maker generating the highest total operating profit in the September quarter, despite Nokia’s overall sales eclipsing that of Apple by a wide margin, in part thanks to Nokia’s cheaper, traditional cellphone offerings.

Apple’s filing is the latest development in the ongoing battle between the two companies. Nokia first filed suit against Apple in October 2009, claiming that the iPhone infringes on several Nokia patents; Apple vowed to “vigorously” defend the case days later, then filed a countersuit claiming patent infringement in December. The lawsuits were followed by an ITC complaint from Nokia near the end of the year, alleging that Apple infringes on the Finnish company’s patents “in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, and computers.”