Nokia, the world's largest handset maker, is suing Apple, creator of the world's hottest wireless device, claiming patent infringement.

Nokia claims the iPhone violates 10 patents that make wireless devices compatible with a number of technical standards, including "GSM." GSM is the global wireless standard used by AT&T, the exclusive U.S. distributor of the iPhone, and dozens of other carriers around the world.

The disputed patents cover wireless data, speed coding, security and encryption. In the lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Delaware, Nokia says Apple is using its technology without paying proper licensing fees.

More than 40 other handset makers - it declined to say which ones - have agreed to pay, Nokia noted.

"By refusing to agree to appropriate terms for Nokia's intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation," Nokia Vice President Ilkka Rahnasto said in a statement.

In its lawsuit, Nokia says it has spent more than $60 billion to develop its technology.

Apple spokesman Steve Dowling declined to comment.

Nokia didn't say how much it wanted to charge Apple. Nor did it say how much Apple offered to pay during their two-plus years of negotiations.

Charles Hosch, a patent attorney at Strasburger & Price, says it's possible that the lawsuit isn't just about money. He says that Nokia notes in its lawsuit that at one point, it sought "reciprocity" with Apple.