Apple lawyers seem to be gearing up for a legal showdown with Nokia, as Cupertino has announced that it will defend itself vigorously against Nokia's patent infringement claims.

In an annual report filed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Apple states that Nokia's complain alleges that Apple nicked some of its GSM, UMTS and 802.11 wireless communications standards. Apple conceives that it has the right to license these patents on "fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms and conditions" and that it will "defend the case vigorously."

Basically it seems that Apple is sharpening its teeth and at this point a settlement to the dispute seems rather unlikely. As we reported earlier, analysts believe that Nokia could seek close to $1 billion in damages.

More here.