Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Europe's Top Regulator Warns Nokia - Patent Licensing Will Trigger Antitrust Action

On December 9, Europe's top regulator warned although he approved the $7.2 billion sale of Nokia's business to Microsoft, he was concerned Nokia would attempt to "extract higher returns" from its patents. He said this seeking higher returns (e.g., a higher royalty rate in patent licensing) was behaving "like a patent troll, or "a patent assertion entity" and  he would not tolerate Nokia taking "illegal advantage" of its patents but instead sue it for the antitrust violation. So what can you Nokia do with its patents in Europe? Put them on a bookshelf-- and promise never to assert them.

See Associated Press article EU Warns Nokia Not to Become 'Patent Troll'

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