The lawsuit, filed in a US Federal court in Delaware, claims infringement of 10 Nokia patents that relate to technologies for wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption.
Nokia claims the patents are "infringed by all Apple iPhone models shipped since the iPhone was introduced in 2007".
The Finnish company said it has made attempts to license the technology to Apple but that it has refused to provide compensation.
In its complaint, Nokia said Apple's actions have allowed it to charge less for its products, because it has not had to recover development costs. Nokia claims that it has spent about €40bn in research and development during the last two decades in mobile communications technologies.
Ilkka Rahnasto, vice president of legal and intellectual property at Nokia, said: "The basic principle in the mobile industry is that those companies who contribute in technology development to establish standards create intellectual property, which others then need to compensate.
"Apple is also expected to follow this principle. By refusing to agree appropriate terms for Nokia's intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation."
Nokia reported its first quarterly loss in more than a decade last week. In the three months to September 30, the company's smartphone market share slid to 35%, down from 41% in the second quarter, mainly as a result of it losing ground to the iPhone and Research in Motion's Blackberry.
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