Separate lawsuits were filed in German courts against Vitelcom Mobile Technology SA of Málaga, Spain, and Paris-based Sagem SA, says Nokia spokeswoman, Riita Mard.

Nokia accuses Vitelcom of infringing on its patents for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technologies.

The manufacturer says that it has invested considerable time, energy and resources in its own research and development, and that Vitelcom should play by the rules and license needed intellectual property.

Nokia is seeking monetary damages, and an injunction against the sale and marketing of an unspecified number of Vitelcom phones, according to Mard.

"We cannot say at this point what the size of the damages could be," she says. "This depends on the volume of sales."

Sagem also faces a legal challenge from Nokia. Unlike the Vitelcom dispute over patent infringements, the Sagem complaint concerns unauthorised use of registered designs.

"This has nothing to do with patented technology, but rather with registered designs that can be viewed as patents," Mard adds.

The Nokia spokeswoman declines to comment on the size of the damages sought from Sagem or on any possible timetable for both cases. Sagem and Vitelcom could not immediately be reached for comment.