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After signing a pact to sell its handset business to Microsoft, Finnish phone giant Nokia can neither license the Nokia brand for use in connection with mobile device sales nor use the brand on its own mobile devices for a specific period.
"Microsoft has also agreed to a 10-year licence arrangement with Nokia to use the Nokia brand on current and subsequently developed mobile phones based on the Series 30 and Series 40 operating systems," Nokia said in a recent US filing.
After the closing of deal "Nokia would be restricted from licensing the Nokia brand for use in connection with mobile device sales for 30 months and from using the Nokia brand on Nokia's own mobile devices until December 31, 2015," it said. Nokia, which will be left with only its telecom equipment, location and patent development business, would have right to continue and maintain Nokia brand except for a certain period according to the agreement.
