Nokia navigation software downloads reach one million

One million people downloaded Nokia's free navigation software during the first week of its launch, the company claims.

Ovi Maps have been downloaded 1.4m times overall since the application became available on January 21 2010.

It has been most popular in China, Italy, the UK, Germany and Spain

The service provides different direction information for drivers and pedestrians in 74 countries and 46 different languages.

"We're averaging a download a second, 24 hours a day," said Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's executive vice president.

He added that the demand for location-based software was growing more quickly than the company had anticipated.

Research by Strategy Analytics suggests that Nokia has 39% of the global smartphone market.

Both Nokia and Google now offer free-to-download navigation services, which is putting pressure on the sat-nav industry.

Dutch satellite company Nav4All announced that it is shutting down after its contract with Nokia subsidiary Navteq, a digital mapping company, was not renewed.

Kodak sues Apple and RIM over iPhone and Blackberry

Camera maker Kodak has said it will sue Apple and Research In Motion (RIM), the makers of the iPhone and Blackberry, over technology used in their handsets.

Kodak has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC).

It alleges the iPhone and Blackberry use technology for previewing pictures that infringe Kodak patents.

It has also filed two separate suits against Apple that claim infringements of patents relating to digital cameras and certain computer processes.

Kodak has asked the ITC to bar both firms from shipping the phones and has asked for undisclosed monetary damages.

RIM and Apple declined to comment.

Legal scrutiny

"We've had discussions for years with both companies in an attempt to resolve this issue amicably, and we have not been able to reach a satisfactory agreement," said Laura Quatela, chief intellectual property officer at Kodak.

"In light of that, we are taking this action to ensure that we protect the interests of our shareholders and the existing licensees of our technology."

The patent for Kodak's picture previewing technology has already been the subject of one dispute.

On 17 December 2009, an ITC judge ruled that camera-enabled phones made by Samsung infringed upon the Kodak patent.

The separate filing against Apple has also been scrutinised in court in a case against Sun Microsystems.

In that case, a federal jury determined that Sun's Java programming technology had infringed Kodak's patents. Sun later agreed to pay Kodak in return for a license for the patents at issue.

Apple is currently in the middle of a legal dispute with phone giant Nokia.

In October, Nokia alleged that the iPhone infringed 10 of its "fundamental" patents relating to wireless technologies.

Apple countered with its own lawsuit in December, accusing Nokia of copying its technology.

Since then Nokia has complained to the ITC and launched a further legal action that alleges "virtually all" of Apple's products infringe on its patents.