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Nokia countersues Qualcomm in US

Nokia Corp, the world's largest mobile phone maker, said on Thursday that it filed its first countersuit in the US against Qualcomm Inc, saying the US-based company infringed on its patents.

The two companies are embroiled in a high-stakes dispute over royalty payments after a 2001 agreement expired earlier this year.

Nokia said it does not believe its products infringe patents registered by Qualcomm, responding to a lawsuit filed by the San Diego, California-based firm on April 2.

The company filed counterclaims against Qualcomm in the same Wisconsin court, alleging that it infringed six Nokia patents related to Qualcomm chipsets.

"Over the past 19 months Qualcomm has filed 11 patent litigation cases against Nokia seeking damages and injunctions," said Rick Simonson, Nokia's chief financial officer. "Nokia has now filed its first counter action to address Qualcomm's unauthorized use of Nokia technology."

The legal skirmish dates to October 2005, when Nokia and five other companies complained to the EU about Qualcomm's business practices. The commission is considering the complaint.

Qualcomm, the world's No. 2 chipmaker for cellphones, licenses its technology patents and wants to renew terms of the 2001 licensing pact.

Nokia wants to reduce payments to Qualcomm.

Last year, in a lawsuit filed in Delaware, Nokia said Qualcomm fails to adhere to global licensing rules and asked that Qualcomm be prevented from seeking redress in other legal complaints against Nokia.

Qualcomm has also charged Nokia with patent infringement in federal court in San Diego, before the US International Trade Commission as well as in courts in Britain, France, Germany and Italy.
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