NOKIA, the world's biggest phone maker, is suing rival Apple for allegedly infringing 10 of its patents on mobile phone technology with the iPhone. The Finnish company said in a statement it had filed a complaint against Apple with the Federal District Court in Delaware claiming that the iPhone infringes its patents for wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption technology.

"The basic principle in the mobile industry is that those companies who contribute in technology development to establish standards create intellectual property, which others then need to compensate for," said Ilkka Rahnasto, vice president for intellectual property at Nokia.

"Apple is also expected to follow this principle. By refusing to agree appropriate terms for Nokia's intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation."

Nokia said it had invested more than Pounds 36bn in research and development in the last two decades and that much of its intellectual property had been declared essential to industry standards.

It has entered into licence agreements for its technology, with around 40 companies, including nearly all the leading mobile device vendors, Nokia said.

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