Ericsson has filed legal action against Samsung over alleged patent infringement, claiming the smartphone-maker had “refused” to sign licensing terms despite two years of negotiations.

The Sweden-based equipment giant said in a statement today that the dispute concerns patents "essential to several telecommunications and networking standards used by Samsung's products as well as other of Ericsson's patented inventions that are frequently implemented in wireless and consumer electronics products."

It did not name any specfic patents nor did it put a value on its damages claim. 

"Ericsson has concluded that it has no option other than legal action after negotiations have not been successful since Samsung has refused to take a license on FRAND terms," the vendor said.

Samsung has yet to formally respond. It previously licensed Ericsson's patents in 2001 and renewed in 2007, but according to Ericsson its licences have now expired.

Ericsson claims to have signed similar licence agreements with a hundred “major players in the industry.”

It says it spent SEK32.6 billion (US$5 billion) on R&D last year and holds one of the strongest patent portfolios in the industry with more than 30,000 patents worldwide.

The complaint is filed in the District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, the local court to Ericsson's US headquarters.