Apple vs Nokia comes to the UK

Law

The Apple and Nokia legal tussle over patent infringements has come to the UK, with a case set to go ahead in Britain.

Apple has accused Nokia of infringing nine patents around smartphone technology, just as the Cupertino company did towards the end of 2009 in the US when it countersued the Finnish firm.

The legal battle stems back to October 2009 when Nokia claimed Apple had used patented wireless standards in the iPhone.

Nokia alleged the patents were infringed by all iPhone models shipped since the device was launched in 2007.

Nokia said it was unsurprised at the latest development in the battle.

"It changes nothing in the fundamentals of the matter, which are rooted in Apple's refusal to respect Nokia's intellectual property and attempt to free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation," a statement from the Finnish firm stated.

"We are examining Apple's claims, which appear to be based on nine implementation patents already in suit between the two companies in the US. Though litigation is always a last resort for Nokia, the company will continue to defend itself to the utmost."

Apple had no comment to make on the matter.

The iPhone manufacturer has also been involved in a legal battle with HTC over patents.

Tom Brewster

Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.

He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.