Nokia faces legal challenge over patents

A maker of mobile phone chips and components has filed two new lawsuits in the US against market-leading mobile phone handset maker Nokia, alleging infringement of five patents.

Qualcomm, a supplier of chips for mobile phones based on CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technology, said the patents in the new lawsuits relate to the downloading of applications over wireless networks and speech encoders used in certain phones.

The suits are the latest in a series of legal wrangles between Nokia and the chip maker, which have also included a dispute renewal of an existing technology licensing agreement.

The chip maker claims the suits concern Nokia GSM/GPRS/EDGE mobile phones and that it wanted an injunction against sales of the handsets and damages related to those already sold.

A Nokia spokeswoman said the Finnish-based company believed the latest action appeared to be part of a pattern of serial litigation by Qualcomm.

"We believe this suit is also without merit. Nokia will actively defend itself to ensure the rights of the company are protected," she said.

(Additional reporting by Rex Merrifield in Helsinki)