Apple Seeks To Ban Nokia Imports To US 374
Hugh Pickens writes "Cnet reports that the ongoing patent battle between Apple and Nokia has escalated, with Apple moving to block imports of Nokia cell phones to the US by filing a complaint with the International Trade Commission, an independent federal agency that examines issues including unfair trade practices involving patent, trademark, and copyright infringement. In December, Nokia filed its own complaint with the USITC alleging that Apple infringes seven Nokia patents 'in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, and computers' and sought to ban imports of Apple's iPhone, iPod, and MacBook products. Responding to Apple's latest move, Nokia spokesman Mark Durrant told Bloomberg that 'Nokia will study the complaint when it is received and continue to defend itself vigorously. However this does not alter the fact that Apple has failed to agree appropriate terms for using Nokia technology and has been seeking a free ride on Nokia's innovation since it shipped the first iPhone in 2007.' An ITC investigation is a lengthy process, but it's possible that Apple and Nokia might reach some sort of settlement as suits continue to escalate between the two companies."
Re:Sue first, ask questions later (Score:3, Funny)
Won't someone please think of the lawyers?
Haha. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Apple is just trying not to appear weak (Score:3, Funny)
You forget that Apple has fanboys, and Nokia does not. Nokia might as well settle now, apologise, pay an undisclosed sum and retreat from the American market again.
Re:Apple Counter files against Nokia not files (Score:3, Funny)
The thing is, Nokia has all the rights to do that since Apple keeps infringing their patents and doesn't even agree to cross license patents like every phone manufacturer does. This is just Apple being childish and trying to kick back in tears.
You could also point out that Nokia has been a major player on the mobile phone market for a long time. According to wikipedia their share of the device market was 38% in Q3 2009. Alluvasudden some upstart invades *their* mobile phone market, steals a big chunk of *their* share of the smartphone market, with an innovative new media-player/smart-phone this competitor succeeds in selling apps and music hand over fist where Nokia has had only mediocre success and to make matters worse no matter what they do Nokia can't seem to beat the Apple iPhone even when they practically copy it. Now Nokia is trying to play rough to hurt their competitor. Do those tactics remind you of anybody else? I think Nokia's problem is that Apple isn't some smalltime competitor they can just step on and squash under foot. They used to make good products but lately Nokia phones have just, well.... just plain sucked. Perhaps Nokia should pour it's energy into innovating and trying to come up with a phone that causes customers on their way to buy an iPhone to peel off to the Nokia display stand and buy something else. Either way, I don't thing they can hope for any kind of success if they intend to sue their way out of the problem the iPhone has become for them. This stinks of desperation.
Here is how it will end: (Bug circumvented now.) (Score:3, Funny)
<Nokia> HEY APPLE
<Nokia> INSULT
<Apple> LAWSUIT
<Nokia> COUNTER-LAWSUIT
<Apple> QUESTIONING OF SEXUAL PREFERENCE
<Nokia> SUGGESTION TO SHUT THE FUCK UP
<Apple> NOTATION THAT YOU CREATE A VACUUM
<Nokia> LAWSUIT
<Nokia> ADDON LAWSUIT
<Apple> COUNTER-LAWSUIT
<Nokia> COUNTER-COUNTER LAWSUIT
<Apple> NONSENSICAL STATEMENT INVOLVING PLANKTON
<FTC> RESPONSE TO RANDOM STATEMENT AND THREAT TO BAN OPPOSING SIDES
<Apple> WORDS OF PRAISE FOR BRIBERY
<FTC> ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND ACCEPTENCE OF TERMS