Nokia has begun legal action requesting that Qualcomm's European patents are "exhausted" in respect of products placed on the European Union market with a Qualcomm licence.

The claim applies specifically to instance chipsets supplied to Qualcomm by Texas Instruments.

If Nokia's claim succeeds, Qualcomm would be prevented from enforcing its respective patents in Europe in relation to Nokia handsets incorporating such chipsets.

Texas Instruments and Qualcomm are known to have entered into a so-called Patent Portfolio Licence in 2000.

The complaints were filed in the Regional Court of Mannheim in Germany and in the Hague District Court in The Netherlands.

Nokia said that both courts have substantial experience in patent matters within the European Union.