Apple will pay Nokia licensing fees

Apple and Nokia have been locked into legal wrangles now for years over patents for the mobile phone sector. Apple are agreeing to pay Nokia licensing fees which will be a huge cash revenue boost for the Finland based Nokia.

This deal is going to settle all the patent litigation concerns between Apple and Nokia and the two companies will withdraw their respective complaints with the U.S. International Trade Commission. Apple are also going to pay Nokia an undisclosed one time fee and on going royalties.

Stephen Elop, chief executive officer of Nokia issued a statement “We are very pleased to have Apple join the growing number of Nokia licensees. This settlement demonstrates Nokia's industry leading patent portfolio and enables us to focus on further licensing opportunities in the mobile communications market.”

Apple have not made a public statement on the agreement.

The legal wrangling has been ongoing now since 2009 when Nokia first sued Apple over 10 wireless handset patents they said they owned. Apple refused to pay licensing fees which were related to running phones on 3G, WiFi and GSM networks.

Apple decided to file a countersuit in December 2009 charging Nokia with infringing 13 Apple patents related to the iPhone. Nokia replied later that month by lodging a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission saying that Apple were infringing seven Nokia patents “in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, and computers.”

KitGuru says: Nokia will be pleased with the outcome of this case ensuring a steady flow of cash from one of the largest electronics companies on the planet.

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