The legal battle between Apple and Nokia continues to get nastier. In the latest move, Apple filed its own complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC). The move follows a similar one by Nokia earlier this month.
The ITC has the power to ban the sale of products in the United States. Such a move could have a much more significant impact on Apple for which the U.S. is a key market. For Nokia, the U.S. market is much smaller as it has not had the same success there as elsewhere in the world.
The two companies are now locked in a series of legal suits alleging patent infringement on both sides. Analysts expect that things could get nastier as Nokia may still identify further infringements against Apple (and vice versa presumably). At stake are hundreds of millions of dollars in annual royalties.
Analysts also expect that it will be years before the dust settles.