Nokia sues Amazon from US to India over streaming patents

By Karin Matussek

Nokia Oyj sued Amazon.com Inc. in courts across three continents, alleging the e-commerce giant uses its technologies in streaming services and devices without authorization.

The suits were filed in the US, Germany, India, the UK, and the European Unified Patent Court, Arvin Patel, Nokia’s Chief Licensing Officer said in a statement on the company’s website. Separately, a suit was also filed against HP Inc in the US over video-related technologies, he said.

“We’ve been in discussions with each of Amazon and HP for a number of years, but sometimes litigation is the only way to respond to companies who choose not to play by the rules followed and respected by others,” said Patel.

Companies providing video streaming services or streaming devices enjoy “huge benefits” from Nokia’s research which in turn needs to be compensated accordingly, Patel said.

Amazon declined to comment because the legal action is ongoing. HP didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

Nokia said litigation is never its first choice and that the vast majority of its patent licensing agreements are agreed amicably. But regulators such as the European Commission have made efforts in recent years to cut down on the number of disputes over technology such as mobile telephony that end up in court — arguing that protracted disputes can stymie innovation.

In June, Nokia announced a license agreement with Apple Inc, without disclosing the terms.