Nokia takes on developer over 3G patents

January 17, 2005 - source: BWCS

Finnish mobile giant Nokia is to fight US mobile developer InterDigital over the latter's claims to some 3G patents. According to reports in today's Financial Times, InterDigital's share price fell 11.5% after it announced that the mobile handset maker is to use the International Chamber of Commerce and International Court of Arbitration in a bid to prove that it has no legal obligation to pay InterDigital.

The American company reported that Nokia is determined to get a court ruling to establish that it has not infringed any of InterDigital's patents. However, the beleaguered wireless developer says that it plans to defend itself vigorously. In its favour, InterDigital can point to the licence agreements it has reached with Ericsson and SonyEricsson and which effectively recognise the US company's patents.

InterDigital says it is also in discussions with Samsung and Nokia over second generation mobile phone patents and believes that between them the two manufacturers owe it a total of between US$180 million and US$220 million for the last two years. Needless to say this sum is being disputed by the vendors.