The Nexus 7 has been the subject of much attention since its debut at Google I/O due to things like the fact that it's running Android 4.1 or that it's the first Nexus-branded tablet. Nokia has been the source of some of that attention, but for an entirely different reason. Speaking to The Inquirer, a Nokia spokesperson claims that the Nexus 7 infringes upon some of its patents, which may be related to Wi-Fi connectivity. The spokesperson said that Nokia "has more than 40 licensees, mainly for its standards essential patent portfolio, including most of the mobile device manufacturers," but neither Google nor ASUS are included in that group. Nokia's spokesperson said that companies that don't yet license Nokia's patents should simply sign up to do so, and it's believed that Nokia would likely just ask that Google or ASUS license its patents rather than seek an injunction against the Nexus 7. ASUS declined to comment on Nokia's claims.
Patents and patent infringement have certainly been hot topics in the mobile world as of late, with seemingly just about every company targeting or begin targeted with a complaint or lawsuit. While it remains to be seen whether or not the Nexus 7 actually does infringe upon Nokia's patents, I'm sure that this is something that Google and ASUS are looking into after Nokia's new claims. We'll be keeping an eye on this situation going forward, but at least it sounds like anyone interested in the Nexus 7 won't have to worry about it being hit with an injunction like the one another member of the Nexus family is currently facing.
Via MobileBurn, The Inquirer
