InsaneJournal

Nokia faces EUR 12 billion patent breach claim

Nokia is facing a patent breach claim of up to EUR 12 billion from German intellectual property rights holder IP-Com, reports German financial newspaper Financial Times Deutschland citing IP-Com's CEO Christoph Schoeller. IP-Com has been negotiating with Nokia to come to an agreement, but in the beginning of January of this year, IP-Com decided to launch a patent breach claim at the state court in Mannheim. The claim orders Nokia to stop using 8 mobile patent families owned by IP-Com asking for up to EUR 12 billion in patent licensing fees. If the claim is approved, Nokia could be ordered to stop selling mobile phones in multiple countries. Nokia dismisses the claims because parts of the patents are not valid and the company will defend itself vigorously according to Anne Eckert, Nokia's Patent Director. She also said that the financial claims are excessive. IP-Com acquired the patents from its former owner Robert Bosch at the end of 2006, with the financial support of US-based private equity fund Fortress.

http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?id=201530