Apple becomes a Nokia patents licensee

FLOGGER OF SHINY TOYS Apple has signed a patent licence agreement with Nokia after both companies retracted their US International Trade Commission (ITC) complaints.

Nokia and Apple had been firing patent infringement claims at each other through ITC complaints over several months but the companies must have realised that they were only making the lawyers rich and reached a settlement.

The advantage falls in Nokia's favour with Apple having to fork out a one time payment as well as royalties to cover future products.

We don't know yet how much cash Apple will pay Nokia but it is likely to be a small fortune.

If it was one alleged patent infringement, Apple would probably have toughed it out through the ITC but Nokia registered several complaints that covered, well, almost everything it makes. In fact Nokia said in March that Apple had infringed patents on its mobile phones, portable music players, tablets and computers.

"We are very pleased to have Apple join the growing number of Nokia licensees," said Nokia CEO Stephen Elop.

"This settlement demonstrates Nokia's industry leading patent portfolio and enables us to focus on further licensing opportunities in the mobile communications market," he added.

If there's anything Nokia needs right about now it's some good news. The Finnish phone firm spent time earlier this week denying buyout rumours after it partnered with Microsoft and started losing market share. µ