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16 February 2017Patents

BlackBerry battles Nokia in patent claim

BlackBerry has taken on Nokia in a patent infringement claim, alleging that the Finland-based company has used its proprietary technology.

Nokia has allegedly infringed 11 US patents: 6,996,418; 8,254,246; 8,494,090; 7,529,305; 8,861,433; 9,426,697; 9,253,772; 8,897,192; 9,125,202; 8,243,683; and 8,644,829.

According to the claim, BlackBerry has developed key innovations underlying 3G and 4G mobile communications technologies, such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE Advanced, and Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN).

The lawsuit, filed (pdf) at the US District Court for the District of Delaware on Tuesday, February 14, claimed that Nokia infringed the patents through its Flexi Multiradio base stations and associated software such as the Liquid Radio software suite.

Nokia provides products to T-Mobile, AT&T and others in the US for the LTE and UTRAN networks, said BlackBerry.

It added: “Nokia has persisted in encouraging the use of the LTE-compliant infringing products by its customers without a licence from BlackBerry.”

BlackBerry also alleged that Nokia knows about the patents, adding that related patents have been cited in international search reports, by Nokia, and by an examiner during the prosecution of patent applications assigned to Nokia.

Nortel Networks Corporation previously owned some of the patents concerned, and Nokia had tried and failed to acquire them as part of an asset sale in 2009, according to the claim.

By 2012, Research In Motion (now BlackBerry) acquired the patents previously owned by Nortel.

BlackBerry is seeking damages, ongoing royalties, an order that the infringement is wilful and deliberate, an order that it is an exceptional case, and a jury trial.

A Nokia spokesperson said: “We’re aware of the complaint, will study the claims made and take whatever steps are necessary to defend our rights.”

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