Symbian wars: Ericsson sues UK based Sendo

Mobile phone developer and manufacturer company Sendo is again using its lawyers. This time Ericsson has sued the UK based mobile phone company Sendo for patent infringement in several countries. Sendo manufactures Symbian Series 60 based smartphones and feature phones. The company started a few years ago work on the Z100, a Windows Mobile based smartphone, but the project ended with a lawsuit where Sendo said that Microsoft used tactics to receive market and technology knowledge it didn't have access to before the venture.

This time Ericsson is on the other side. The complaints allege that Sendo's mobile phone products infringe certain Ericsson patents covering GSM and GPRS technologies. Ericsson seeks both an injunction against the continued sale and marketing of Sendo's mobile phone products, and monetary damages.

"Ericsson is the leading innovator in telecommunications and has made substantial investments in the development of various
telecommunication standards," said Kasim Alfalahi, Vice President Patent Licensing. "As a result, we have built a strong portfolio of essential GSM and GPRS patents."

"Basically, all we ask is that companies who use technology invented by Ericsson compensate us for this, the same way we are prepared to compensate others for our use of their technology," Kasim Alfalahi said. "We believe that Sendo is using Ericsson patented technology, but they have so far not signed a license agreement with Ericsson. Under these circumstances we have no choice but to take Sendo to court."