You might call it a case of: “if you can’t beat ‘em, sue ‘em”. Finnish mobile giant Nokia (NYSE: NOK) filed a lawsuit against Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) on Thursday on grounds that the iPhone maker has used Nokia’s mobile technology without permission. The case is filed in the Federal District Court in Delaware and alleges that Apple has used 10 Nokia-patented technology standards in the iPhone since its 2007 launch, relating to wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption.

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In its release, Nokia complains that it’s spent €40 million billion ($60 billion) on R&D in the last 20 years and that its licensed its tech standards to manufacturers in 40 countries worldwide. Nokia’s VP for legal & IP Ilkka Rahnasto is taking no prisoners: “By refusing to agree appropriate terms for Nokia’s intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia’s innovation,” he says. We’ve contacted both Nokia and Apple for further comment and will update when we can. Update: Apple simply told us that is “doesn’t comment on pending litigation”.