Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Nokia Sues Apple For Patent Infringement In iPhone

Posted by samzenpus on from the we-did-it-first dept.

AVee writes "Engadget (amongst many others) reports that Nokia is suing Apple because the iPhone infringes on 10 Nokia patents related to GSM, UTMS and WiFi. While the press release doesn't contain much detail, it does state that Apple didn't agree to 'appropriate terms for Nokia's intellectual property,' which sounds like there have been negotiations about those patents."

9 of 367 comments (clear)

  1. I'll ask it again by Locke2005 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why are standards based on patented technology?

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    1. Re:I'll ask it again by EvilNTUser · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Read the press release. Nokia has spent 40 billion euros in R&D over the last two decades. Wireless communication is probably not quite as simple as one click shopping.

      --
      My Sig: SEGV
    2. Re:I'll ask it again by mea37 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Because standards that lag current technology by 17 years would go unused anyway? So instead of having to interoperate with one system and therefore needing to pay royalties to one group of patent-holders, any device manufacturer would have to either (1) play to a niche market, or (2) address the fragmented market by interoperating with many systems that each work differently, therefore needing to pay royalties to many groups of patent-holders?

      Your question is reasonable when applied to standards that cover doing things for which there are alternatives unburdened by patents. In many areas (such as wireless telecommunications) that is not the case.

  2. Those 40 other... losers? by Anonymusing · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Maybe Apple thinks the patents won't stand up in court. Just because 40 other companies licensed them from Nokia, doesn't mean those other companies actually considered taking on Nokia. Are those other companies as big and brash as Apple? Apple has an estimated market cap of ~$180 billion, while Nokia has ~$50 billion.

    --
    Liberal? Conservative? Compare perspectives at Left-Right
    1. Re:Those 40 other... losers? by hattig · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Maybe those 40 other companies licensed them as part of a broader licensing package, rather than specifically. Without someone doing an analysis of the patents involved, and how Apple have implemented the similar features (patents protect a specific way of doing something, not the something), we won't know.

      It'll end up with Apple paying a nominal fee and cross-licensing their multitouch and other mobile patents, so Nokia won't have to worry about them in the future, and thus can remain a relevant company in the mobile marketplace.

  3. Oh boy! A lawsuit story! by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Would you just do a spinoff site calls "SueDot" already?

  4. Just like Cisco... by bkr1_2k · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This will be another Cisco event where the case eventually gets settled out of court for some undisclosed amount of money... nothing to see here.

    --
    "Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional."
  5. Re:Presumed guilty by demachina · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Since nearly every other cell phone maker has licensed these patents and Apple was negotiating to license them chances are pretty good Nokia's claim is valid. Don't think it has much to do with Slashdot bias.

    Presumably Nokia's licensing terms were unreasonable to Apple, this is just escalation of the "negotiating" process by one side or the other, Nokia thinks they will win and get more cash than Apple was offering in the negotiation, or maybe even Apple thought they will do better in court or with a counter suit over other patents so they provoked Nokia in to this.

    --
    @de_machina
  6. Nothing to do with software !! by pablo_max · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Looking over these posts..it's amazing that how little people understand of the technology they use.
    Nokia's patents pertaining to GSM technology and UMTS have absolutely nothing to do with a phones OS but rather the 7 layers under it.

    Nokia has spent many millions over the years on GSM and UMTS. They are major contributors to the 3GPP standards body and have help in a measurable way to shape the technology.
    How can people call Nolia a patent troll because some company comes in years after Nokia did all the work and steals the tech?? Are you kidding me?

    I know it's Apple and the normal rules of the world should not apply, but for F's sake people. This is the reason we have patents! It's not some nonsense software patent.