Patent infringement lawsuits filed by Apple and Nokia in Delaware were put on hold after a judge ruled Wednesday their outcome must wait for international trade complaints to be sorted out. In February, the International Trade Commission announced it would investigate Apple’s claims against Nokia, a move following a similar January pronouncement concerning Nokia’s allegations against Apple.
It is uncertain when the Washington, DC-based ITC will announce decisions in the two cases, although some say the probe could last about 15 months. The body can demand the halt of imports if a company is found guilty of infringing upon a competitor’s patents.
In October of last year, Nokia filed lawsuits against Apple with the ITC and in a Delaware district court, alleging the Cupertino, Calif. company’s iPhone infringed 10 patents covering GSM and 3G technologies. In its Delaware filing, the Espoo, Finland cell phone giant charged the electronics maker was “attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia’s innovation.”
Apple countersued Nokia, alleging the company infringed 13 patents. The legal back-and-forth continued as Nokia alleged to the ITC “virtually all” Apple products infringed patents.
It appears filing dual lawsuits has become nearly standard practice when alleging patent infringement. Wednesday, Apple filed lawsuits in both Washington, DC and Delaware against HTC. Apple alleges the Taiwanese company, known for making several Android-based handsets – including the recent Google Nexus – infringed upon 20 iPhone patents.
Intellectual property experts question the wisdom of the lawsuit, concerned a win by Apple could risk the future of all Android-based smartphones.
[via Mac Observer and Sacremento Bee]
