Nokia continues legal assault on Apple, files suit with ITC to ban Apple imports

By on Jan 4, 2010 at 1:39 PM
News January 4, 2010

nokia-iphone-camera suit

Back in October we told you about Nokia filing suit against Apple over the iPhone, claiming that Apple’s mobile offering violated Nokia patents pertaining to GSM, UMTS and wireless LAN (WLAN) standards. Perhaps some legal posturing, we thought; a public and principled shot across the bow aimed at the Cupertino based tech company? Apparently not, as Nokia has taken off the gloves. In a December 29th filing with the International Trade Commission, Nokia seeks an immediate injunction that would ban the import of anything with a camera and an Apple logo on it: iPhones, iPod Touches, iMacs, Macbooks – you get the idea. The suit claims Apple is violating Nokia patents in its use of a combined camera chip which keeps the size and power usage of devices down, a voltage controlled oscillator (VOC) that “increases the efficiency of the wireless device and uses less power than traditional VCOs, thereby increasing battery life,” and the sensor technology used in the iPhone that turns the screen off when it is within proximity of your face to prevent accidental input. We’re not sure if Nokia’s strategy is a sound one, but we’ll stay on top of this one as the filings continue to mount. You can hit up the link to read the original article translated from Finnish.

[Via Nokia Views]

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  • Apple seed

    I guest and u on top .. Every company want a piece .. Nokia days are long and gone …

    • T

      en ingles, por favor.

  • Laz

    If nothing else, it will give Nokia free advertising…

  • Keymaker

    The problem is that Nokia days are over. Nokia sells more phones than anyone but there’s a problem, 95% of their phones are fully subsidy by carriers which means people get them for free and the carriers pay Nokia. The cell phone market is evolving and people are now willing to pay for devices, which means they don’t even care if it’s free or not. Most Nokia phones have always been free here in the US but if people don’t even want them
    for free I guess there’s little they can do. Nokia has huge market share and they might not banish overning but hey everything has a end, just look at Motorola.

  • jaymax

    So it’s perfectly ok for Apple to protect its intellectual property rights by zealously suing the begeezus out of anyone perceived to be in violation of their patents or copyrights, yet when someone else (such as Nokia) turns the tables on Apple and tries to hold Apple accountable for Apple’s theft of intellectual property, then it’s nothing but a desperate move by a “has-been” company? Sounds hypocritical to me.

    • carig

      Amen. It’s about time Apple got a taste of their own medicine. This lawsuit isn’t nearly as dickheaded as some that Apple has brought against others.

      Personally I’m just tired of seeing things like multitouch left off of android phones (this is at least partly google’s fault) and others because companies too are scared of an Apple lawsuit.

      • Void

        I half agree with this. Apple is a dick for patenting the ability to use more than one finger on a device. I didn’t know you could patent such lame things, well I did, but don’t think you should be able too. This seems like a fairly easy idea (easy to think of, not easy to implement), and shouldn’t be stuck to only one company. It could improve so many different devices.

        However, I find Nokia’s claim just as stupid. They are suing a company based off a camera being onboard the main chip, and using power saving techniques. … Apple is not the only company using these policies, in fact I’m pretty sure most cell phone manufacturers are doing that, and Nokia is only complaining about the one that is hurting their business.

        In my opinion, this is fail on both sides.

    • Ben

      I Agree, I hope Nokia wins.

    • Mrwirez

      Apple stole code from KDE and developed Webkit. They also stole from FreeBSD for OSX.. Nail the mother effers. Apple rapes everyone that buy’s anything from them too. Apple meet Microsoft.

      • Void

        Stole? You do realize that you just named two open-source projects right? You can’t really steal whats free. What’s the point in remaking software if there is a free open source version of it thats stable and works really well?

  • rederikus

    Let’s hope that Nokia shove it right up those thieves at CrApple.

    I sincerely hoep that they win and that 2010 is the year that the Evil Empire is wiped from the face of the planet.

    Go NOKIA, say I.

  • http://b5one.com BDizzleFizzle

    The iPod touch doesn’t have a camera – maybe you meant the nano.

    For those Apple haters, when Apple sues over IP, it does it for real reason, not like a patent troll. Nokia is acting like a patent troll here. This suit is complete BS. Why not go after RIM? They move more phones than Apple. Why not LG, Moto and Sammy? They sell more than either of the other two. This is a purposeful attack on Apple because Nokia hasn’t been able to stop their growth.

    I think they should be way more focused on RIM than Apple because corporate buyers get scared by things like this whereas consumers tend not to notice. Since a huge number of BBs sell to corporations, Nokia could take out a large chunk of RIM’s sales pretty quickly by knocking out one or two major companies.

    • mwpeters8182

      I believe they aren’t going after RIM because RIM has paid royalties on the patents that Nokia is claiming Apple has not.

      • http://b5one.com BDizzleFizzle

        Thanks for the info, man. It’s still extremely suspect since Apple isn’t making the chips in question, but I guess I became a forum troll in my calling Nokia a Patent Troll.

        And, Jeff, you’re right. My bad.

      • http://www.adtwik.com Omar

        You are right. Apple has not. But their is more.

        Apple hasn’t pay the royalties because Nokia offered those patents under FRAND (“fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory” terms ) in order to have them use as a standard.

        But Nokia wants access to private patents from apple or a higher royalty witch is contradictory to the FRAND terms those patents are being offered.

      • sam

        How can it be that Nokia wants Apple patents when Apple acknowledges that Nokia offered them licensing based on $$$ not once but twice?

        How can it be that Nokia wants Apple touch patents when Apple uses at least two Nokia touch patents in iphone? How many Apple touch patents Nokia uses in their phones?

        Or is it that Apple can make products using Nokia patented technology as they wish but no-one else can’t even begin to think making products that have Apple patented technology? Does not appear logical line of thinking…

  • Jeff

    Someone needs to do more research before posting.
    Apple didn’t pay a dime for their use of Nokia’s patented technology. RIM and other manufacturers using the technology are paying royalties.

    • rederikus

      Bang on, man. CrApple rips off people right, left and center.

      Just because I do not like CrApple, and say so, does not make me a forum troll. I would counter by suggesting that Apple fanboiz are, in fact worse than trolls since their viwpoint is so blinkered.

      Just LOOK at the number of + points the pro Nokia, “Apple ain;t paid no royalties” segmet have gained.

      imo, Apple deserve everything they get in here and in the court room.

      • iPaladin

        Sure, you’re so fair minded you call it CrApple.

        The entire reason this crap flinging exists is that Apple was not offered the opportunity to pay for the Nokia patents by the same terms that companies like RIM were offered.

        Now, if someone can prove that Nokia is right and Apple stole the patents, Apple should settle and quick.

        Problem is, no one has ever seen any product or paper that would claim that Apple broke these patents. If these patents were violated, Nokia should have lodged complaints much earlier than what they have done.

  • Cool Beans

    @BDizzle

    Apple is most definitely a patent troll. Did you miss the law suit they flung at Palm concerning the multi-touch function? Why do you think there are so many devices that are capable of multi-touch but still lack the feature?

    • http://www.adtwik.com Omar

      You can sell more of XYZ but what counts are Profits and Apple ranked more profits with the Iphone that Nokia did with all their phones in 2009.

      I will prefer to sell 3 oranges and make a $1
      Than sell 100 and make .25 cents.

      • consumerism

        sure – apple made lots of money on the iphone. it’s great and it sells like hotcakes. i can do that too. i’ll rip-off a bunch of nokia technology, never pay for it, sell my product, make loads of $$$ because i didn’t ahve to invent anything, and when ppl fall in love with it they will defend me viciously and call nokia names.

        yay.

        but seriously, i’m glad nokia isn’t backing down. these are good days. tech companies are being forced to play fairly, at least that is a recent trend that is starting. like with intel’s compiler, and them having to remove “Make AMD Look Slower Than Us” from it. yay for fairness being pushed into a !@#%’d up consumerist market!

      • http://www.myspace.com/3gphotography BLacKuLa

        I know this is off the subject but IMO, AMD is better than intel.

      • Mrwirez

        Don’t mean squat, you can’t rip off code and patents and get away with it..

    • http://b5one.com BDizzleFizzle

      Cool Beans, actually, no, Apple isn’t a patent troll. That’s a real technology they are using and have patented (and Nokia isn’t one either – I was being an arse calling them one).

      A patent troll is a company like SCO who bought a company to get patents, then made nothing and had a business plan that was based on suing for patent royalties. A better example is NTP. They bought patents so they could sue RIM, and got a lot of money out of RIM in a settlement. NTP makes nothing, and only exists to enforce patents the original owner couldn’t afford to enforce.

      Apple isn’t a troll. Nokia isn’t a troll.

  • I Ees Stoopid

    I ees no undestanding statments by keymake persons. How ees Nokias days numberered but “sells more phones than anyone”??????????

    Plz explaining to stoopid peoples. We’s not smarts as like other blog reading commenters.

    “the cell phone market is evolving and people are now willing to pay for devices”
    Such as Nokias N9700 for $599, with financing available via Dells?

    Oop. Apologizes! Me almost made real sentences! Ignores it, me ees stoopid.

    • Tyler M

      WTF

  • DT

    The story I’ve been seeing is that Apple would pay royalties, but on top of that Nokia is demanding higher royalty rates than being offered to other OEMs AND access to Apple’s IP. If that is accurate then I would deny Nokia too if I were Apple. Hopefully this is mediated to where Apple has to pay a fair-but-not-abusive royalty like everyone else.

    • sam

      That is not accurate. You can read the filings of the both companies. Even reading only Apple filing you’ll see that Nokia offered Apple licensing based on monetary compensation only several times.

      Why this myth keeps on popping up in these conversations? It’s not true.

  • Nokia N900

    It’s about damn time Apple is held accountable, bunch of thieves they are. There is no honor among thieves!

  • tallperson117

    Idk how likely it is that this will go thru, but if it does, apple’s foreign market days could be “Finnished!” (Haha well maybe not, I just thought it was a funny play on words)

  • La chela

    A mi me gusta mucho mi iPhone. Hay no, Nokia es muy complicado y pues a mi me gustan las cosas fáciles.

  • RJ

    I like that Nokia is taking on Apple for the simple reason that Apple doesn’t want to share their multi-touch tech. As a consumer, I hope the end result is that they all play nice and my next Nokia will have a whole suit of multi-touch getstures and my next Iphone will, uh, make phone calls…

  • David A

    ban the iPhone LOL

  • winterweken

    Is this really gunna fly? Honestly, where was Nokia when the iPhone came out? Let Apple sell “their” patent and then cash in after over 40million devices sold. Good Luck. Should have filed an injunction 2 years ago.

    • Roach

      That’s not exactly right, a lot of the internal workings of the iPhone aren’t directly patented but rather kept secret and a protected “trade Secret” Often times this offers better protection than a true patent, this also works to your advantage if you are stealing the hell out of some IP and doen’t want the owner to come back after you. Everyone keeps bragging about the $30 Billion in cash that Apple has. One more thing the responsibility does not fall to the owner of the patent as long as you are within the given statute of limitations(I have no Idea what it is in Finland) it’s on the infringer, if you steal ip then you have stolen, in the case of Apples infringing think of it like someone stealing your garage and everything in it. I mean they didn’t take your house or job so why are you whining?

  • maxpayne79

    Looks like nokia don’t gots no moneyz.
    Its sad they can’t come up with anything original so they try to extract money from the ones they feel threatened by.

  • RENE

    NOKIA IT BEEN LONG TIME AROUND, MAJOR WORLD ON SALE,( FOR THOSE WHO NEVER BEEN IN EUROPE WHERE NOKIA SALE ARE A MONSTER),APPLE-IPHONE 2 YEARS, MOST OF THE TECNOLOGY USED IN THE IPHONE IT IS UNDER NOKIAS PATENTS, NOKIA WANT ACCESS TO MULTITOUCH PATENT, AS A FARE TRADE IN TECHNOLOGY, APPLE REFUSED, NOKIA TRY TO FORCE APPLE WITH HIGHER LOYALTY TO SEE IF THE RELEASE THE PATENT ACCESS, IN EXCHANGE FOR LOW OR KEEP THE SAME ROYALTY, APPLE IGNORED IT, NOW, THEY ARE DANCING WHERE THEY BELONG, SIMPLE BUSINESS. TO GAIN, YOU NEED TO GIVE UP, IF YOU ONLY WANTS TO TAKE IN, YOU ENDED UP LOOSING EVERYTHING, (APPLE CASE)

  • Chona

    Hahahaha. Nokia is a bitter loser. What next Nokia? Sue Apple for using numbers when calling? Or using the english alphabet on their keyboard? Or selling phones to human beings? Lol. Nokia has never looked so desperate. What a loser.

  • bomKABOOM

    FIGHT!
    Apple throws a punch using an ipod touch, oooh…
    Nokia tosses at Apple an N95, bang boom, OUCH!
    Apple gives an upper-cut using an Iphone-to-the-head. Oh-My-God.
    Nokia holds Apple in a head lock using an N97 USB cable, Holy &!$^ and… DING DING DING, We Have A WINNER! It’s… a number of fat rich lawyers have just stormed in!! I guess we have the Winner(s)

  • //

    Are people like that retarded to not realize that all other manufacturers pay Nokia to use their technology?

    Nokia does not care about them using their technology with a financial agreement (unlike Apple, that’s a greedy karnt).

    That’s pure logic, they’ve invested $40 billion in those technologies. Apple basically owns them around $2 billion when going via the regular way like all manufacturers pay.

    Next, Nokia has patents on existing technology, where as Apple only has patents to things they want to do in the future (and probably won’t).

    Apple needs to grow up, if don’t wanna end up going broke, yet again.

  • Niko1600

    Nokia is and alwyas will be the #1 cellphone make company in the world. There phones are 1 of the best made with great durability, long lasting batteries, best reception, and unique designs. U can say whatever u want about Nokia but they will always dominat everyone in there field.

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