Nokia takes Apple suit into Europe

New suits filed in the UK, Germany and Netherlands

Nokia has expanded its legal feud with Apple into Europe.

The company said that it has filed suit against Apple in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands for patent infringement. In total, the filings cover 13 Nokia patents which the company claims are being violated by Apple in various features of its iOS operating system. Among the devices allegedly infringing on the patents are the Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

The iOS devices have been Apple's most lucrative business arm in recent months. Combined sales from the three devices topped 27 million units in the last financial quarter alone.

According to Nokia, however, the iOS platform is in violations of patents filed long before Apple released any of its mobile devices.

"The Nokia inventions protected by these patents include several which enable compelling user experiences," said Nokia vice-president of intellectual property Paul Melin.

"For example, using a wiping gesture on a touch-screen to navigate content, or enabling access to constantly changing services with an on-device app store, both filed more than 10 years before the launch of the iPhone."

The filings expand an already heated legal battle between the two companies over the use of patented technologies in handsets. In 2009 Nokia filed suit against Apple in the US, claiming that the company was in violation of its patents on wireless networking systems.

Apple later countersued Nokia and earlier this year extended its legal complaints into the UK courts.