Nokia Oyj and Samsung Electronics Co have sued to suppress what they say are counterfeit mobile phones and accessories to protect their brand names in the growing wireless phone market.
Nokia, the world's biggest cellular telephone maker, said companies in south Florida are taking old phones, repackaging them with bootleg accessories and selling them as new. Samsung, the world's No. 3 mobile handset maker, sued a California company it says is selling knockoff carrying cases, power cords and "swivel clip holsters" with the Samsung name.
Cellphone makers are joining such companies as Coca-Cola Co, Tommy Hilfiger Corp and Oakley Inc in fighting imitation goods with famous names that are sold over the Internet and elsewhere. Some of the knockoffs are covers, batteries and earphones that feature the Nokia and Samsung names.
"The cellphones are the sexy end of the consumer electronics market now," said Jan Lindemann, global managing director for brand valuation at Omnicom Group Inc's Interbrand unit.
"If you have a badly made accessory under the Samsung name or Nokia name, the consumer gets the wrong brand message."
The number of cell phones is growing worldwide as handset prices fall. Global mobile-phone sales probably rose more than 5 percent to 405 million units last year, Nokia said in January. The company expects industrywide sales of handsets to rise at least 10 percent this year, projecting about 445 million phones will be sold this year.
Nokia had a market share of 36.4 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, No. 2 Motorola Inc 17.5 percent and Samsung 9.2 percent, according to Strategy Analytics, a market research group.
To entice customers, the handset makers are producing new models with features like cameras and color screens. Nokia introduced a record 33 new models last year.
Along with the high-tech features, the companies are selling holsters, face plates, and other accessories to allow consumers to personalize their phones.
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