Game on as they say.
Apple in their 10-K form (Warning: PDF) had this interesting tidbit on that Nokia patent lawsuit that I told you about:
The complaint alleges that these patents are essential to one or more of the GSM, UMTS and 802.11 wireless communications standards, and that the Company has the right to license these patents from plaintiff on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (“FRAND”) terms and conditions. Plaintiff seeks unspecified FRAND compensation and other relief. The Company’s response to the complaint is not yet due. The Company intends to defend the case vigorously.
Translation: The iLawyers have been unleashed. And I’m not sure I would want to be Nokia at the moment.
Of course there’s more inside this document that makes it worth reading as well. Such as how many iPods they sell and how much money that makes them, their expenses, etc. But I think that statement about Nokia should merit some attention. That’s due to how much Apple may stand to lose if they come out of the wrong end of this. One report suggests as much as a billion dollars might be in play here. Not exactly small change.