Some major mobile news tonight: Nokia just announced that it has settled its patent dispute with Apple, resolving all patent claims between the companies.
The case dates to 2009, when Nokia filed suit over technologies included in the iPhone. The dispute had since mushroomed into a series of claims and counterclaims by both sides. However, according to Nokia, Apple is the one paying up under terms of the settlement.
The deal “consists of a one-time payment payable by Apple and on-going royalties to be paid by Apple to Nokia for the term of the agreement,” said Nokia tonight in the news release announcing the agreement. The amount of the payments isn’t being disclosed, but the agreement will have a “positive financial impact” on Nokia’s devices and services business this quarter, the company said.
It’s an important development not only for Nokia but for Microsoft, which is partnering with Nokia on an upcoming line of Windows Phones.
“We are very pleased to have Apple join the growing number of Nokia licensees,” said Stephen Elop, the Nokia CEO (and ex-Microsoft exec) in the news release. “This settlement demonstrates Nokia’s industry leading patent portfolio and enables us to focus on further licensing opportunities in the mobile communications market.”
Nokia vs. Apple was just one of a series of ongoing patent disputes among the major players in mobile technologies. Microsoft has made headlines of its own in recent months by pursuing patent infringement claims against Barnes & Noble and other companies using Google’s Android operating system in their devices.
