Apple vs Nokia: Patents, Patents, Patents

Nokia Corp. is broadening a legal dispute it already has with Apple Inc. over the iPhone, saying almost all of the company’s other products also violate the Finnish phone maker’s patents.  Nokia said Tuesday that it has filed a complaint against Apple with the U.S. International Trade Commission, alleging Apple’s iPhone, iPods and computers all violate Nokia’s intellectual property rights.

The seven Nokia patents in this complaint relate to Nokia’s pioneering innovations that are now being used by Apple to create key features in its products in the area of user interface, as well as camera, antenna and power management technologies.

Nokia, which is based in Espoo, Finland, has already sued Apple over the massively popular iPhone, claiming it infringes on 10 of its patents related to phone calls and Wi-Fi access.

Apple has denied the charges and this month countered with its own lawsuit, saying Nokia has copied aspects of the iPhone in their own devices. Apple claims Nokia is violating its patent rights on technology for connecting phones to computers, teleconferencing and touch-screen menus, among other things – 13 patents in fact.

I wonder how this will turn out… and it is so reminiscent of the BlackBerry / Rim fight…