Like a modern-day Hatfield and McCoys, Apple and Nokia are at it again, the latest shot fired by the Cupertino, Calif. firm, asking the International Trade Commission to block imports of the cell phone giant. The legal action comes after Nokia asked the same commission to ban imports of iPods, iPhones and Macs.
The action was posted on the ITC Web site without any comment from Apple. Nokia, however, said it will “study the complaint when it is received and continue to defend itself vigorously,” Nokia spokesman Mark Durrant told Bloomberg by text message over the weekend.
The dispute between Apple and Nokia began in October 2009 and has continued with each side swapping charges of patent infringement. Initially, Nokia sued Apple, claiming the electronics company “was trying to get a free ride” on the back of the Finnish cell phone maker’s innovations in GSM and Wi-Fi technology. Apple struck back, charging in a countersuit Nokia violated 13 of its patents. In December, Nokia filed a claim with the ITC, charging “virtually all” Apple products infringe its patents on power management, user interface, along with camera and antenna technology.
The ITC, which can ban imports based on patent infringement, is often seen as quicker route to a decision than U.S. civil courts that can drag on indefinitely.
[Via AppleInsider and MacRumor]
