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Apple fires back at Nokia, asks ITC to ban handset imports

The ongoing patent and licensing dispute between handset makers Apple and Nokia took yet another twist this week, as the iPhone maker has asked the International Trade Commission to ban the import of Nokia's phones into the U.S.

Apple's latest move is in response to a move in December from Nokia, when it too asked the ITC to ban the import of Apple products. This week's latest patent infringement suit is the latest in a list of legal battles the two companies are engaged in.

A notice of complaint from Apple was posted on the ITC Web site Friday without any detail. The ITC oversees U.S. trade and deals with matters that include patent infringement.

The battle first began in October, when Nokia sued Apple over the use of patented wireless standards. Nokia has alleged that the iPhone maker has infringed on GSM and wireless LAN related patents it owns.

Two months later, Apple countersued Nokia over its own patented technologies. Apple has alleged that Nokia has attempted to obtain more money from it than other companies, as well as rights to Apple's intellectual property.

Nokia previously asked the ITC to ban the import of Apple products, including iPhones, iPods and MacBooks, into the U.S. Nokia's ITC complaint accuses Apple of treading on seven distinct patents applying to user interface, camera, antenna and power management.