Apple complaint against Nokia to be investigated

Apple has asked the ITC to ban Nokia from importing and selling certain devices

Nokia is to be investigated by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) after complaints made by Apple that the Finnish giant infringed on nine of its patented technologies.

Apple has asked the ITC to "issue an exclusion order and a cease-and-desist order" to ban Nokia from importing and selling products that it believes infringe on its technology in the US.

The decision ups the stakes between the two smartphone manufacturers after the ITC agreed in late January to look into complaints made by Nokia against Apple of alleged intellectual property thefts.

Nokia is the world's largest mobile phone maker, but has seen its market share eroded by rival manufacturers, particularly Apple's iPhone that has proved immensely popular in the consumer and business markets.

Apple was contacted but declined to comment on the matter, while Nokia had yet to respond at the time of publication.

The ITC's ruling marks the latest in a series of legal disputes between several huge players in the industry, as companies look to protect their technologies in an increasingly competitive market.

Last Thursday it was announced that RIM and Apple would be investigated after a complaint by Kodak, while RIM is now also under investigation after a complaint by Motorola on patent infringements.

The ITC will set a date for completing its probe within 45 days of first starting the investigation.