Not over yet: Nokia in new patent fight against Apple

Nokia has announced that it is restarting its patent battle against Apple, covering several continents in the process.

The Finnish telecommunications icon first took Apple to court several years ago, with the Cupertino company agreeing to license some patents in 2011. But Nokia says that Apple has refused subsequent offers to license other patents.

“Through our sustained investment in research and development, Nokia has created or contributed to many of the fundamental technologies used in today’s mobile devices, including Apple products. After several years of negotiations trying to reach agreement to cover Apple’s use of these patents, we are now taking action to defend our rights,” said Ilkka Rahnasto, head of Patent Business at Nokia, in an emailed statement.

The move comes after Apple took action against partners of Nokia

Cases have been filed in 11 countries, with 33 patents disputed in Europe, three in Asia and 36 in the USA.

The patents cover aspects such as “display, user interface, software, antenna, chipsets and video coding”.

Nokia took action a day after Apple filed suit against two firms, accusing them of colluding with the Finnish firm, Reuters reported.

The move also comes after Nokia bolstered its patent portfolio, having taken full control of Nokia Siemens Networks back in 2013 and acquiring Alcatel-Lucent in 2015.