Originally Posted by Laughing Man

So the only thing Apple has in their example that predated the Nokia tablets is the iPod. Which came out 23 October 2001.

"When mobile wireless handsets or cell phones were first introduced," Apple's counterclaim continues, "the technology focused on the ability to make and receive traditional voice calls. Nokia was an early participant in the development and sale of these traditional voice call-focused mobile phones. Over time, however, mobile phone technology converged with computer technology and other technology advances, including many advances pioneered by Apple...Today's 'smartphones' are sophisticated, portable computing devices with immense capabilities...Apple foresaw the importance of converged user-friendly mobile devices...designed a business strategy based on the convergence of personal computers, mobile communications, and digital consumer electronics, and produced...devices such as the iPod, iPod Touch and the iPhone.

The complaint finally declares, "This attempt by Nokia to leverage patents previously pledged to industry standards is an effort to free ride on the commercial success of Apple's...iPhone while avoiding liability for copying the iPhone and infringing on Apple's patents."

Apple singles out the 5310, E71, N900 by name, but includes the Series 40, S60 and Symbian platforms, Carbide C++ (because it's developed in an environment that enables the compiler to generate a GUI), and any Nokia product that identifies itself through USB.

Nokia sued Apple back in October claiming that it infringed on 10 patents dealing with certain wireless technologies. Nokia has a huge portfolio of patents pertaining to the way cell phones actually behave like cell phones. Nokia believes that Apple dipped a little to liberally into the patent pool without paying up. So it sued.

At the time, Apple said the lawsuit was meritless. Today, it countersued. The countersuit pretty much refutes all the original claims made by Nokia.

Strong language accompanied the notice from Apple on this one. In a statement, Bruce Sewell, Apple's General Counsel and senior vice president, said, "Other companies must compete with us by inventing their own technologies, not just by stealing ours."

Apple pretty much just accused Apple of stealing. Apple also points out that Nokia has publicly admitted that it will copy a good idea, quoting the words of a Nokia executive who spoke at a 2007 Nokia event. That's a pretty nasty thing to say. Apple is alleging that Nokia is violating 13 of its patents.

Here is a list of the patents in question:

• No. 5, 634, 074 : Serial I/O device identifies itself to a computer through a serial interface during power on reset then it is being configured by the computer
• No. 6, 343, 263 B1 : Real-time signal processing system for serially transmitted data
• No. 5,915,131 : Method and apparatus for handling I/O requests utilizing separate programming interfaces to access separate I/O services
• No. 5,555,369: Method of creating packages for a pointer-based computer system
• No. 6,239,795 B1: Pattern and color abstraction in a graphical user interface
• No. 5,315,703: Object-oriented notification framework system
• No. 6,189,034 B1: Method and apparatus for dynamic launching of a teleconferencing application upon receipt of a call
• No. 7,469,381, B2: List scrolling and document translation, scaling, and rotation on a touch-screen display
• No.RE 39, 486 E: Extensible, replaceable network component system
• No. 5,455,854: Object-oriented telephony system
• No. 7,383,453 B2: Conserving power by reducing voltage supplied to an instruction-processing portion of a processor
• No. 5,848,105: GMSK signal processors for improved communications capacity and quality
• No. 5, 379,431: Boot framework architecture for dynamic staged initial program load

The Nokia E71, Carbide.c++, Nokia 5310, Nokia N900 all infringe Apple's patents, Apple claims in today's filing. Apple also denies infringing the 10 patents Nokia had alleged and added that Nokia's patents are invalid and shouldn't be enforced.

"In 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone a ground-breaking device that allowed users access to the functionality of the already popular iPod on a revolutionary mobile phone and Internet device. The iPhone is a converged device that allows users to access and ever expanding set of software features to take and send pictures, play music, play games do research, serve as a GPS device and much more … The iPhone platform has caused a revolutionary change in the mobile phone category.

"In contrast, Nokia made a different business decision and remained focused on traditional mobile wireless handsets with conventional user interfaces. As a result, Nokia has rapidly lost share in the market for high-end mobile phones. Nokia has admitted that, as a result of the iPhone launch, “the market changed suddenly and [Nokia was] not fast enough changing with it.

"In response, Nokia chose to copy the iPhone, especially its enormously popular and patented design and user interface …

"As Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia’s executive Vice President and General Manager of Multimedia, stated at Nokia’s GoPlay event in 2007 when asked about the similarities of Nokia’s new offerings to the already released iPhone: “[i]f there is something good in the world, we copy with pride.” True to this quote, Nokia has demonstrated its willingness to copy Apple’s iPhone ideas as well as Apple’s basic computing technologies, all while demanding Apple pay for access to Nokia’s purported standards essential patent. Apple seeks redress for this behavior."

Originally Posted by matthewcc

I hope steve jobs gets cancer...again.

Originally Posted by Matan

Where would ARM be if scienctists needed to wait 90 years after all authors' death in order to quote it? Probably drawing their valued "IP"s on a cave wall with a piece of charred wood.

Originally Posted by SD69

Patents have existed for over 100 years.

Originally Posted by Texrat

Gah. Some of those patent descriptions make me really question the system...