InterDigital claims that the companies infringe seven of its patents in their 3G phones, USB sticks, mobile hotspots and tablets.

The company is asking the ITC to forbid Nokia, Huawei and ZTE from importing the relevant products into the U.S. It has also filed a complaint in the U.S District Court for the District of Delaware alleging that the three companies infringe the same patents.

InterDigital said it has tried to negotiate licensing deals with the companies but has failed to "reach an acceptable resolution."

Those talks are ongoing, thus the complaints come as a surprise to Huawei, said William Plummer, a spokesman for the company. "We have been and remain in negotiations with InterDigital related to the license of IP that might be relevant to our solutions," he said. "We're surprised that this process is being started while those talks are ongoing."

Nokia and ZTE could not be reached for comment.