Nokia may have taken a (far too) long break from mobile phone production in recent years, but it never gave up on a very robust patent collection that’s been reaping continuing royalties from companies like Apple, HTC or Samsung.

The fallen Finnish tech giant, which is finally returning to consumer-oriented hardware manufacturing and distribution through an intermediary in a few months, settled one of the industry’s first major infringement disputes way back in 2011.

Apple then agreed to pay Nokia a no doubt generous undisclosed one-time sum of money, plus regular licensing fees, and the two bitter rivals all of a sudden made peace. But according to the Cupertino-based profit-generating machine, Microsoft’s former subsidiary got greedy.

Remember that no-name Acacia Research company which managed to squeeze $22 million out of Apple in a Texas lawsuit a little while ago? The iPhone makers argue Nokia actually “conspired” with the notorious patent hoarder, as well as another little known licensing firm called Conversant, to “use unfair and anticompetitive patent assertions to improperly tax the innovations of cell phone makers.”

Hence, Apple will attempt to remedy a “continuing anticompetitive scheme”, and stop Nokia from “extracting and extorting exorbitant revenues” in a US court of law.

In response, Nokia just filed a “number” of complaints against Apple on both US and German shores, on the traditional patent infringement allegation. Apparently, Cupertino “declined subsequent offers made by Nokia to license other of its patented inventions which are used by many of Apple’s products” since striking the first such agreement half a decade back, and therefore, new compensations might be in store. This sounds like the beginning of another ugly and potentially lengthy legal discord, so buckle up, grab your popcorn, and forget all about the Christmas spirit.

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