Patent Lawsuit

In this modern day clash of the titans, Apple and Nokia are yet again engulfed in a brutal legal battle. Apple and Nokia settled a patent lawsuit back in 2011. And now they’re back at it again. The previous case lasted for over two years. It was a smartphone licensing agreement that forced  Apple to make a one-time payment to the company and to pay regular royalties in the future.

Apple Refusing To Pay

However, Apple is now refusing to pay the said “royalties”. The deal expires on Dec. 31. Nokia wants Apple to keep paying and is demanding that Apple pays for licensing of additional Nokia patents. Whereas the Cupertino-based company is refusing to pay Nokia.

Apple Files An Antitrust Lawsuit

Apple is filing an antitrust lawsuit, not against Nokia but instead against third-party companies. Namely against Acacia Research Corp and Conversant Intellectual Property Management Inc. Apple is accusing them of colluding with Nokia to extract and extort exorbitant revenues unfairly from Apple. While Nokia is suing Apple directly.

“Since agreeing to a license covering some patients from the Nokia Technologies portfolio in 2011. Apple has declined subsequent offers made by Nokia to license other of its patented inventions which are used by many of Apple’s products,” Nokia said in a statement.

While Apple is trying to convey its side of the facts

“We’ve always been willing to pay a fair price to secure the rights of patents covering technology in our products,” said Apple spokesman Josh Rosenstock. “Unfortunately, Nokia has refused to license their patents on a fair basis and is now using the tactics of a patent troll to attempt to extort money from Apple by applying a royalty rate to Apple’s own inventions they had nothing to do with.”

Looks like this is the start of another legal conflict.