Apple and Nokia patent suit heads to ITC

Nokia today filed suite with he International Trade Commission over Patents it says Apple violated with its products.

According tot he WSJ:

Nokia alleges that "Apple infringes Nokia patents in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players and computers." The Finnish cellphone maker said the seven patents in the complaint relate to user-interface as well as camera, antenna and power-management technologies that Apple uses in its products.

"While our litigation in Delaware is about Apple's attempt to free-ride on the back of Nokia investment in wireless standards, the ITC case filed today is about Apple's practice of building its business on Nokia's proprietary innovation," said Paul Melin, in charge of patent licensing at Nokia.

There's not a lot to say about this development.  Apple didn't want to give up its iPhone patents to use Nokia's.  Nokia sued Apple.  Apple counter-sued Nokia and now this.

If Apple is really violating Nokia's patents in all of its products, why aren't other computer manufacturers?  And why is Nokia bringing this up now?  Certainly Apple didn't just start making computers and Nokia didn't just find out that Apple is in the computer game?

Obviously, Nokia is hoping to escalate the battle and have Apple settle rather than risk issues with he ITC.

Not surprisingly, Apple and Nokia didn't comment publicly.

This corporate fight is clearly going to have a happy ending... for patent lawyers.