Helsinki: The world's top cellphone maker Nokia Oyj filed a lawsuit on Thursday against smaller rival Apple, claiming the US firm's iPhone infringes ten technology patents of Nokia.
Nokia continues to dominate the global cellphone market, but it has lost some ground to new entrants like Apple since it entered the market with its iPhone in mid-2007.
Ten patents in the case -- filed in Delaware, United States -- relate to technologies fundamental for devices using GSM, UMTS and/or local area network (LAN) standards, Nokia said.
The patents cover wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption and are infringed by all Apple iPhone models shipped since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, Nokia said.
Nokia said 40 main handset vendors have licensed its technologies, but it has not reached agreement with Apple.
"By refusing to agree appropriate terms for Nokia's intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation," Ilkka Rahnasto, Vice President for Legal & Intellectual Property at Nokia, said in a statement.
Legal battles over as many as 10 technology patents can easily take several years.
Apple Inc shares trading in the US briefly dipped on the news and were 0.2 per cent up at $205.31 by 1516 GMT.
Apple was not immediately available for comment.
Shares in Nokia were 0.3 per cent softer at 8.82 euros in Helsinki.
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