Nokia, InterDigital bury UK patent dispute

Finnish handset vendor Nokia and wireless technology firm InterDigital have put one of those tedious patent disputes to bed this week, in the UK at least.

The companies said they have agreed to end two legal actions that were being fought out in UK courts.

No financial details were released but the cases concerned whether certain patents owned by each company are essential to the UMTS 3G mobile telephony standard.

Nokia filed suit against InterDigital in the UK in 2005, alleging that certain patents declared to the UMTS 3G standard were not essential. InterDigital brought suit against Nokia in 2006 alleging exactly the same thing regarding the Finn’s patents, although this claim was complicated by the merger of Nokia and Siemens and the transfer of some patents to the new company.

Although the UK case is now over, a similar spat between the two companies continues in the US.