Intermec Technologies Corp. on Wednesday hit Symbol Technologies Inc. with a lawsuit that alleges infringement on six Intermec patents. The lawsuit is the latest in a string of legal battles between the two companies, which compete in the market for radio-frequency identification and wireless technologies.

"Symbol's unauthorized use of Intermec's patents is a clear violation of patent law and involves a substantial part of Symbol's automated data-capture product line," Intermec president Tom Miller said in a prepared statement. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.

The patents cover an integrated wireless data-capture system that can distribute data over a network; portable, battery-powered data-processing devices that can run a multitasking operating system; and handheld portable data-capture devices with graphical user interfaces. They also include the ability to accept and process handwritten information. Intermec is seeking damages and a permanent injunction to prohibit further infringement of its patents.

On March 10, Symbol Technologies Inc. countersued Intermec for patent infringement. That suit alleges that Intermec infringed on Symbol's patents for wireless communications standard 802.11. It also covers Intermec's use of Symbol Wi-Fi patents in Intermec's bar-code-scanning terminals.