Thursday, May 13, 2010

Nokia Sues Apple A Second Time

Nokia Sues Apple A Second Time

In the mobile phone market, Nokia and Apple are the two siblings that just can’t seem to get along. Nokia has sued Apple several times. In response to Nokia's lawsuits, Apple has filed counter-suits. What's the debate? More than 40 billion in no fax payday loans no credit check invested in research and development of cellular technologies. So what is the newest move in this chess game?

Apple iPad entices lawsuit

The latest Nokia Apple lawsuit is situated on 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 .” The design of the Apple iPad uses the technology Nokia believes it designed. The Nokia lawsuit alleges that Apple is stealing the Nokia technology without permission or licensing.

Previous Nokia-Apple lawsuit

This is the second Nokia lawsuit filed against Apple. The first Nokia lawsuit against Apple accused Apple of violating patents on the tech inside cellular telephones. By filing these lawsuits, Nokia hopes to prevent Apple from shipping its products into Europe. The 2009 lawsuit prompted Apple to counter-file a response lawsuit. The 2009 lawsuit has also prompted the U.S. International Trade Commission to look into the Nokia and Apple technology disagreement. Apple would be barred from exporting some products in Europe, if Nokia wins the lawsuits they have filed. If the counter-suits Apple has filed are judged in Apple's favor, Nokia may not be able to import products into the United States. Either way, the judgment of the lawsuit will affect billions of dollars of mobile market share.

The final meaning of Nokia-Apple lawsuits

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 United States patent law works is that processes and products can be patented, but programs must be copyrighted. The slightest change in process or product can change a patent. Intellectual property rights are an issue for all technology manufacturing companies, including the dedicated developers hired by both companies. Dozens of different legal frameworks must be considered, given that many companies work in many different countries.



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