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EU Warns Nokia Not To Become a Patent Troll
Barence writes "The vice president of the European Commission's Competition unit has warned Nokia not to become a 'patent troll'. Nokia is in the process of selling its devices business to Microsoft, giving rise to fears that the remaining part of Nokia will make more aggressive use of its patents portfolio. Vice president Joaquin Almunia said that the commission had dismissed the possibility that 'Nokia would be tempted to behave like a patent troll' when it cleared the way for Microsoft to acquire Nokia's devices division – but warned that 'if Nokia were to take illegal advantage of its patents in the future, we will open an antitrust case.' 'I sincerely hope we will not have to,' said Almunia."
> Particularly ones where they have no product that they offer,
This is exactly what is going on. What's left of Nokia won't have any manufacturing capacity or products. Another NPE.
>Motorola
Motorola makes actual products.
Being this dumb should hurt.
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BMO
The European courts have teeth. The US prosecutors just caved in their prosecution of MS. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_Microsoft_competition_case
"In March 2004, the EU ordered Microsoft to pay €497 million ($794 million or £381 million)...."
Since very recently as you'll soon find out with a quick google..
Not sure what you're referring to, Microsoft bought the devices division of Nokia but Nokia itself - which is the part being discussed here and the part that owns all the patents - is a Finnish company.
In 2016, Nokia can re-enter the cell phone market under its own name. This may mean them going back into designing their own phones, or purchasing Jolla, the spin-off company run by former Nokia engineers. Jolla has already put a very nice looking low-end cell phone on the market, and I expect them to continue to build out their smart phone portfolio in the near future. I can definitely see them once again becoming a part of Nokia in 2016. I don't think Nokia would be content to remain a patent-only business. Also, keep in mind, they are retaining their very lucrative mapping business as well.
hey!
They are reacting to the tact that Nokia seems to have divested itself of all physical products and its OS, so how what is left looks kinda like a patent holding company. Of course Nokia say they are R&D, which is fine, the EU is just reminding then that will act quicky in a market that is full of trolls and patent abusers.
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SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC