Case number: 04/14702 Filing date: June 4th 2004 Parties: Nokia Oyj and Kansalliskiinteistot Oy (Inventor Jari Lahtinen)
HELSINKI, Finland, June 8, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Following a patent granted to an integral component of the hands-free function in mobile phones, a Finnish inventor has sued Nokia (NYSE:NOK) for patent infringement. The process in the Helsinki District Court is supported by Anadeus Ltd, a company that specializes in aiding patent holders in disputes.
The Finnish inventor Jari Lahtinen invented a remote control function for mobile phones. This invention received a patent in late 2003 from the National Board of Patents and Registrations of Finland.
Mr. Lahtinen is now seeking a rightful compensation from Nokia for violating the patent. According to Antti Kosunen, CEO of Anadeus, the exact amount of compensation demand could rise to millions of euros or even considerably higher, depending of Nokia's sales volumes related to the patent.
This is one of the first cases in which Nokia has been sued in court in its home country for patent infringement. "Inventors are often private citizens with limited resources to fight an infringement battle against a giant company like Nokia. Anadeus has been established to help such inventors by, among other things, financing the processes and providing expert advice. This case is likely to attract more inventors to fight for rightful compensation in justifiable cases," says Mr. Kosunen.
Anadeus has offices in Helsinki and Stockholm. In addition it has an extensive network of partners in the United States and several other countries.
Note: Translation Oyj = public limited company. Oy = limited company.