Nokia accuses Chinese firms of design theft

Snide handsets 'copy design of Nokia 7260'

Nokia has initiated civil litigation in Beijing against two companies it accuses of manufacturing and selling mobile phones that copy the proprietary industrial design of its Nokia 7260 model.

Two of the named companies in the case are Shenzhen Telsda Mobile Communication Industry Developing Co Ltd and Song XunDa ZhongKe Electronic (Shenzhen), both of which are Chinese phone manufacturers based in Shenzhen, China.

Nokia has also named the distributors of the mobile phones, Beijing Tongwanbao Commerce & Trade, An Wai Avenue No. 2 Branch and Beijing Xin Tongwanbao Commerce & Trade, as co-defendants in the case.

The Finnish mobile giant is asking the court to order the defendants to cease manufacturing and selling mobile phones that copy the protected designs, and to pay monetary damages and costs.

The lawsuit is now being handled by the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court which accepted the filing on 12 June 2006.