Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Nokia Sues Apple ... Again

Nokia Sues Apple ... Again

In the mobile phone market, Nokia and Apple are the two siblings that just can’t seem to get along. Apple and Nokia have been embroiled in lawsuits for years. Apple has counter-sued Nokia. What's the debate? A lot more than 40 billion in payday loans no fax are invested by these companies in cellular telephone technology. What's the latest move in this game of mobile giants?

Lawsuit spurred by Apple iPad

The Nokia Apple lawsuit brings up the question of 3G technology. You will find five separate patents at issue, all Nokia's, that are the “technologies for enhanced speech and data transmission … and innovations in antenna configurations .” Nokia thinks it designed some of the technology that is a large part of the Apple iPad. Without licenses or permission, Apple is being accused of using proprietary Nokia tech.

The 2009 lawsuit between Nokia and Apple

This is the second Nokia lawsuit filed against Apple. In 2009, Nokia sued Apple for patent violation on Nokia’s cellular telephones. By filing these lawsuits, Nokia hopes to prevent Apple from shipping its products into Europe. In response to the 2009 lawsuit, Apple counter-sued Nokia. The U.S. International Trade Commission has also launched an investigation into the Nokia-Apple disagreement. If Nokia wins the lawsuits, Apple may be forced to change the technology it uses in 3G phones and may be barred from importing its older handsets and iPads into Europe. The United States may see fewer imported Nokia products if the counter-suits are judged in favor of Apple. Either way, you will find billions of dollars of mobile phone market share at stake.

What Apple and Nokia suits mean

The central issue of both the lawsuits and counter-suits between Apple and Nokia is the concept of intellectual property. Both Apple and Nokia have spent millions of dollars on research and development. The way U.S. copyright law is written, a product and process can be patented, but a program must be copyrighted. Even the smallest of changes can require a new patent, The smallest of changes within the design or development of a product can require a new patent be filed. For both of these companies, the dedicated developers they hire often sign away the IP rights of what they develop. Dozens of different legal frameworks must be considered, given that many companies work in numerous different countries.



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