(Associated Press via NewsEdge) Nokia said it filed complaints against wireless technology company Qualcomm Inc. in Germany and the Netherlands.
The Finnish company is requesting declarations that Qualcomm's European patents are exhausted concerning products sold in the European Union with a Qualcomm license.
If Nokia's claim succeeds, Qualcomm would be prevented in Europe from enforcing its patents in relation to Nokia handsets incorporating Texas Instruments chipsets.
Texas Instruments and Qualcomm entered into a so-called patent portfolio license in 2000, Nokia said.
Qualcomm makes money from selling chips and by collecting licensing fees from Nokia and other wireless equipment manufacturers. It is embroiled in several legal and trade disputes with Nokia, and their current licensing agreement expires April 9.
The complaints were filed in the Regional Court of Mannheim, Germany, and in the Hague District Court, the Netherlands.
Nokia said it has invested some 30 billion euros ($40 billion) in research and development, and has built one of the industry's biggest IPR portfolios with more than 11,000 patent families.
Last year, the US International Trade Commission initiated an investigation into alleged infringement of Qualcomm patents by Nokia, following a request by the US chipmaker which claimed that Nokia's mobile phone products infringed six of its patents.
Nokia said in February that a judge overseeing the investigation had ordered a stay of proceedings until further notice.
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