• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, June 1, 2012

In advance of similar pleas to U.S. regulators, Google has filed an antitrust complaint in Europe arguing that Microsoft and Nokia are using patent “trolls” -- or proxy companies -- to wield patents and hurt Android.

“The Internet-search giant alleges that Microsoft and Nokia have entered into agreements that enable entities such as Canada-based Mosaid Technologies Inc. to legally enforce their patent rights and share the resulting revenue,” reports The Wall Street Journal.

“Google argues that it's launching the complaint as an early defensive measure,” Engadgetreports.

“Google's accusations highlight current cut-throat competition in the mobile phone business where companies, including Nokia, are fighting to assert intellectual property rights over wireless technologies,” Reuters writes.

Ironically, “Google’s complaint may prompt an investigation by the same European Union antitrust authority that is probing Google’s Motorola Mobility over its use of so-called standard-essential patents in litigation against Microsoft and Apple Inc.,” Bloomberg notes.

Nokia isn’t taking the charges lying down. “Though we have not yet seen the complaint, Google's suggestion that Nokia and Microsoft are colluding on intellectual property rights is wrong,” Nokia spokesman Mark Durrant said Friday.

Durrant added that some Android devices had "significant (intellectual property) infringement issues" relating to Nokia's patents,” Reuters noted.

Reports The Verge: “Much like Microsoft … who responded by calling attention to Google's dominance in mobile search and characterizing the EC complaint as ‘desperate’ -- Nokia isn't even trying to adopt a conciliatory tone and is instead highlighting Google's perceived failures to adhere to fair and reasonable market conduct.”