Nokia is no longer playing Mr. Nice Guy. The company is on the warpath with HTC in sight and has slammed a 32 patent-related lawsuits that are sure to turn heads. HTC not too long ago settled its patent dispute with Apple, and now the company has to go up against another legal juggernaut with Nokia.

The lawsuits have been filed in five different venues and per reports, these cases were filed way back in May 2012. For those who are of the opinion that this lawsuit is to do with HTC 8X Windows Phone 8 device looking strikingly similar to the Lumia line of Windows Phone devices, that is not the case.

According to Fosspatents, some of Nokia's patents claims are basic technology stuff, which are related to antenna or signal management, while others have to do with user interface issues.

The bottom line is if Nokia can get Apple to pay up, then it wouldn't be too much of an issue for the Finnish company to get HTC to follow suit. Nokia tends to have some seriously powerful patents in its arsenal, with the company now grappling with dwindling fortunes in the smartphone market, it has no choice but to use its patents to gain well needed cash in the bank.

HTC is not the type of company to prolong a patent fight and will most likely pay up rather than spend millions in a court battle, which could work in Nokia's favor, but only if HTC truly believes it is infringing on any of its patents.

Furthermore, if HTC and Apple manage to snub Nokia, it could mean an early grave for the once dominant power in the mobile industry. Nokia has been trying to fight its way back to the top of the smartphone market for several years, but nothing the company had tried is helping. It remains to be seen if Nokia's recent partnership with Microsoft for WP8 smartphones will be the silver lining for the company and give a fillip to its fortunes.