No doubt everyone is well aware of the legal actions being taken by both Apple and Nokia over alleged paten infringements, which according to an article over on Reuters, could well take years for both to reach licensing agreements.

Nokia used to dominate the mobile phone arena, until the introduction of the iPhone, and it is unlikely anyone could manufacture a mobile handset without using patented Nokia tech; however apparently lawyers have said this wouldn’t stop Apple from questioning said patents.

Apple could also ask the US Patent Office to review or invalidate the patents, a process that could take up to 6 to 7 years and is called interparty re-examination. Merchant & Gould patent lawyer, Alton Hornsby has said that if Apple did manage to invalidate those patents where would it put other companies, and it would definitely cause a ripple in the industry.

When done with the courtroom battles in the USA, Apple could take the battle to the European courts, and Nokia could file more suits with the US courts, Analysts state that the best possible route would be for both companies to settle before it gets to that stage.