ITC to rule in favor of Nokia in Apple lawsuit

Apple and Nokia have been locked in a legal sparring match for over a year now. Their most recent lawsuit was filed by Apple against Nokia, alleging that Nokia infringed on 9 different patented technologies. Why can't we all just get along?

A preliminary statement from a member of the International Trade Commission indicates that they will rule in favor of Nokia, saying that Nokia's usage does "not establish a violation." The ITC determined that the patents were all either invalid, or they were not infringed upon. This means Apple won't have the pleasure of seeing Nokia's imports banned.

But it's not a one-way street. Both companies have dished their share of litigation, attempting to quash their competition's imports, and claim a piece of their market share. Nokia is still the largest OS worldwide, but Apple's iPhone is a looming threat to their business.

The ITC judge is scheduled to render a verdict in February of 2011, and it may significantly affect their businesses. If Nokia were to be found guilty of infringement, the infringing devices could be banned from import, further loosening their slipping grip on the market.

source: The Wall Street Journal via TheBoyGeniusReport