UPDATED 17.00, 22/12: Nokia launched legal action against Apple across the US, Europe and Asia, claiming the iPhone giant has infringed 40 patents with its products.

The company filed the action in relation to the use of various technologies covering the display, user interface, software, antenna, chipsets and video coding in some Apple devices.

Lawsuits in the US and Germany, announced yesterday, covered 32 patents. However this has now been expanded to include a greater number of technologies and legal action in other European countries. The company has also filed its first related claims in Asia.

Nokia’s first announcement (yesterday) came a day after reports in the US legal press revealed that Apple had filed a lawsuit in California against Nokia partners Acacia Group related to licencing issues.

This is not the first time Apple and Nokia have locked horns on the subject of patents, with the two involved in a lengthy legal dispute between 2009 and 2011. The verdict eventually went the way of Nokia and resulted in the award of an undisclosed lump sum and ongoing royalty payments.

Nokia now claims since the 2011 settlement the US firm has “declined subsequent offers made by Nokia to licence other of its patented inventions which are used by many of Apple’s products.”

Nokia’s Head of Patent Business, Ilkka Rahnasto, said: “Through our sustained investment in research and development, Nokia has created or contributed to many of the fundamental technologies used in today’s mobile devices, including Apple products.

“After several years of negotiations trying to reach agreement to cover Apple’s use of these patents, we are now taking action to defend our rights.”

The legal action has now been filed in the US, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Finland, UK, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands and France.