Nokia takes Sagem to court over phone design

PARIS: Nokia has taken legal action to force smaller French rival Sagem to withdraw its flagship mobile phone and pay damages as it accuses Sagem of copying its designs, the Finnish company said.

The world's largest maker of mobile phones said Sagem's myX5-2 model was too similar to its own models in style and infringed its registered design.

A Nokia spokeswoman said the suit was filed in Germany. She declined to comment on the size of the damages sought, or on any possible timetable for the case.

Cut-throat competition in the mobile phone market, particularly from larger rivals such as Nokia and Asian manufacturers, has been putting pressure on Sagem's handset prices and profit margins.

Sagem earns about two thirds of its revenue in the communications business and the rest in the defence and security industry.

Some of its largest customers include telecom operators Orange and Vodafone and Bouygues Telecom.