Nokia sues Apple over alleged patent infringements in iPad 3G, iPhone

According to Nokia, the patents involved in the suit, filed in the Federal District Court in the Western District of Wisconsin, are related to enhanced speech and data transmission. The technology uses positioning data in applications and new antenna configurations to improve performance and save space within the hardware, allowing for smaller devices.

"Nokia has been the leading developer of many key technologies in mobile devices" said Paul Melin, General Manager, Patent Licensing at Nokia. "We have taken this step to protect the results of our pioneering development and to put an end to continued unlawful use of Nokia's innovation."

Nokia noted that it has invested about 40 billion euros in research and development in the last two decades. It said it has one of the industry's "strongest and broadest" patent portfolios, with more than 11,000 patent families.

Friday's announcement is the fourth complaint Nokia has lodged against Apple dating back to late 2009. Nokia first sued Apple last October, accusing the iPhone maker of infringing on patented wireless standards related to GSM and wireless LAN. Then in December, it filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission, claiming that Apple has been infringing on patents with the iPhone, its line of iPads, and MacBooks.

In January, a third lawsuit alleged that Apple infringed on several "implementation patents." Filed in a federal court in Delaware, it addressed the same products cited in the ITC suit.

For its part, Apple

In January, Nokia's ITC complaint was accepted for investigation, considered a formality with such a high-profile case. The ITC also agreed to investigate Apple over Nokia's claims.

Analyst Gene Munster with Piper Jaffray has said he believes Nokia seeks a 1 percent to 2 percent royalty on every iPhone sold. That would amount to about $6 to $12 per handset in compensation for intellectual properties related go GSM, 3G and Wi-Fi.