Nokia has filed a lawsuit against Apple claiming the iPad 3G and iPhone infringe five of its patents.
The world's biggest mobile phone maker claims the infringements involve technology used to enhance speech and data transmission and antenna innovations for compact devices.
The BBC reports Nokia and Apple are already embroiled in another dispute concerning the iPhone.
In a statement, the company said Nokia has invested about $US51 billion in research and development during the past two decades and has 11,000 patents.
Last year Nokia filed a similar lawsuit which claimed that various Apple products infringed Nokia patents. Apple responded with a countersuit against Nokia for infringing Apple patents with its smartphones.
The Nokia lawsuit was made on Friday - the same day as Apple announced that the iPad tablet will go on sale in nine countries outside the United States on 28 May.
