By now its a well known fact that iPhones are finding their way onto networks worldwide. Of course, that means that the unlocking market for the iPhone is booming - so much so that Apple has restricted sales of iPhones to US customers. Well, it looks like Apples finally taken it to the next level by going after the Singaporean retailers that are hocking these unlocked iPhones. Specifically, Apple has threatened to take legal action against retailers in Singapore’s Square (a mall in Singapore) - and could seek damages of S$1,000 (~US$691) per unlocked iPhone that’s sold. With Apple rumored to be having trouble convincing Chinese carriers that giving ridiculous revenue-kickbacks is a good idea, it makes sense for Apple to tighten its grip on the unlocked iPhone market. After all, why would China Mobile agree to a revenue sharing model if Apple can’t even assure them that the iPhone will be a China Mobile exclusive. [Via: iPhone Central ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:German court delays ruling on T-Mobile iPhone injunctionT-Mobile unlocks German iPhones through iTunes - official iPhone unlocking hack on the way?Want an unlocked iPhone? Just go to France. Orange France to sell carrier-unlocked iPhonesT-Mobile Germany offering unlocked Apple iPhones due to court orderTeenaged iPhone hardware unlock hacker trades unlocked iPhone for Nissan [...]

So we all know that Nokia is working on an S60 Touch lineup. Touchscreens are the future and all the rage, so it makes sense that Apple’s starting to feel the pressure to keep ahead of the curve. Now, an analyst for London-based Nomura, Richard Windsor, is predicting that Apple may be unleash their legal hounds on Nokia over the 200+ iPhone-related patent filings. Windsor said, “I think Apple will likely view Nokia as infringing on its user interface patents,” and may choose to affect “delays or holdups” in Nokia’s push to release their touch-based interface. Right, it’s one thing to sue a competitor to actually get a valid injunction or court-order levied against them. But, it’s a completely different story if Apple decides to pursue legal options in order to simply delay and cause grief for Nokia. Windsor predicts that any court-case would end in a settlement by 2009. Neither company would want another Qualcomm-style legal battle on their hands - especially Nokia. We’re fairly confident that, should Apple decide to take Nokia to court, the end-game would be simply to make life harder on Nokia. The Finns have been making touchscreen devices for quite some time now, and Apple’s patent filings within the past several months will most likely not be sufficient grounds for any court-ordered injunction. Of course, there’s always the possibility that Apple could argue that Nokia is infringing on their iPhone’s user interface - but we know how well Apple was able to defend their Mac OS X user interface. [Via: MacDailyNews ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:Patents behind the iPhoneNokia pays to get access and use Wi-LAN's patentsNokia lawsuit against InterDigital set to start trial todayNokia gets sued by Interdigital, again, over 3G patent violationsZune phone patents