Nokia said it would defend itself vigorously against Apple's complaint to United States International Trade Commission, filed on Friday, reports Reuters citing a company spokesman. A spokesman said that Nokia will study the complaint when it is received. However, this does not alter the fact that Apple has failed to agree appropriate terms for using Nokia technology and has been seeking a free ride on Nokia's innovation since it shipped the first iPhone in 2007, he said. The two phone giants are in the midst of a major legal battle, which started last October when Nokia charged Apple for using its patented technologies without paying for them. Nokia has stumbled badly in the fast-growing smartphone sector and relative newcomer Apple has gained ground against the market leader thanks to the iPhone, but still trails Nokia in smartphones sales. The legal dispute, potentially involving hundreds of millions of dollars in annual royalties, reflects the shifting balance of power in the mobile industry as mobile phones morph into handheld computers that can play video games and surf the web.
