Nokia has not infringed on four patents belonging to wireless technology company InterDigital related to the 3G mobile standard, a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITU) judge ruled Friday.
InterDigital disagrees with the decision and wants the full commission to review the case, according to a statement issued by the company on Saturday. The Finnish mobile phone manufacturer still isn’t out of the woods. If the commission decides to review the case, which started in August 2007, a final determination is expected by Dec. 14, InterDigital said.
Nokia said the latest decision shows InterDigital may have overestimated the value of its 3G patent portfolio, according to a statement.
Legal proceedings between Nokia and InterDigital have been going on for more than four years. In July last year the two companies agreed to end two legal actions in U.K. courts, which started when Nokia sued InterDigital in July 2005. Details of the agreement were confidential between the parties.
Apple signed a licensing agreement with InterDigital in September 2007. The seven-year deal—which CNet reported at the time as a $20 million pact plus ongoing royalties—reportedly cleared the way for the 2008 release of the iPhone 3G.
Macworld.com staff contributed to this report.