And just like that, a patent battle between Apple and Nokia that's been going on for years has come to an end. Nokia announced in the dead of the night that it and Apple have entered into a patent license agreement that'll see the former paying the latter a one-time payment as well as ongoing royalties that are to be paid for the remainder of the agreement. Exactly how much Apple will be paying wasn't disclosed, but you can imagine that it's probably not cheap. The tiff between the two companies originally kicked off in 2009 when Nokia sued Apple over patents alleged infringed on by the iPhone, including wireless data, encryption, and app stores present on a device.

Although these legal bouts between two major companies can sometimes be entertaining, it's always good to see them come to a mutual agreement and end things on a good note. Plus, I'm sure Nokia is pretty pleased with the fact that it'll be getting ongoing payments from Apple for the remainder of the agreement. You can check out the full press release from the folks in Espoo below.

Nokia enters into patent license agreement with Apple

Published June 14, 2011

Apple payments to Nokia settle all litigation and have positive financial impact

Nokia Corporation

Stock exchange release

June 14, 2011 at 08:05 (CET +1)

Espoo, Finland - Nokia announced that it has signed a patent license agreement with Apple. The agreement will result in settlement of all patent litigation between the companies, including the withdrawal by Nokia and Apple of their respective complaints to the US International Trade Commission.

The financial structure of the agreement consists of a one-time payment payable by Apple and on-going royalties to be paid by Apple to Nokia for the term of the agreement.  The specific terms of the contract are confidential.

"We are very pleased to have Apple join the growing number of Nokia licensees," said Stephen Elop, president and chief executive officer of Nokia. "This settlement demonstrates Nokia's industry leading patent portfolio and enables us to focus on further licensing opportunities in the mobile communications market."

During the last two decades, Nokia has invested approximately EUR 43 billion in research and development and built one of the wireless industry's strongest and broadest IPR portfolios, with over 10,000 patent families.  Nokia is a world leader in the development of handheld device and mobile communications technologies, which is also demonstrated by Nokia's strong patent position.

This agreement is expected to have a positive financial impact on Nokia's recently revised outlook for the second quarter 2011 of around break-even non-IFRS operating margin for Devices & Services.

About Nokia

Nokia is committed to connecting people to what matters to them by combining advanced mobile technology with personalized services. More than 1.3 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia, from our most affordable voice-optimized mobile phones to advanced Internet-connected smartphones sold in virtually every market in the world. Through Ovi (www.ovi.com), people also enjoy access to maps and navigation on mobile, a rapidly expanding applications store, a growing catalog of digital music, free email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, and Nokia Siemens Networks is one of the leading providers of telecommunications infrastructure hardware, software and professional services globally.

Via Phone Scoop