Is Nokia holding back connected car development?

After Daimler, electronics company Bury has asked the EU antitrust regulators to investigate Nokia’s licensing practices on patents essential to car communications, Automotive News reports.

"Nokia refuses to license mobile components. Instead, Nokia insists on indirect licensing of the entire vehicle," Bury said in a statement. "Nokia does not own a vehicle-oriented standard essential patent. Therefore, Nokia cannot demand indirect licensing of the entire vehicle."

Just a few weeks ago, the German OEM filed a similar complaint, saying that they “want clarification on how essential patents for telecommunications standards are to be licensed in the automotive industry.”

"Fair and non-discriminatory access to these standards for all users of the essential patents for telecommunications standards is a key prerequisite for the development of new products and services for connected driving", Daimler stated.

Nokia not impressed

Nokia seems little impressed by the complaints. "Nothing in Bury's complaint changes our view on the matter," the company stated. It is Nokia’s policy to agree on licenses that cover internet connected cars and not the individual component.

The Finnish multinational telecommunications and consumer electronics company reportedly has a highly lucrative portfolio of patents dating from its heyday as a mobile phone maker.

As to Daimler’s complaint, Nokia said the German OEM was seeking to side-step taking out licenses. "Though we offer a wide range of options for automakers, including through their tier 1 suppliers, Daimler has resisted taking a license to the Nokia inventions it is already using," Nokia spokesman Mark Durrant said.

"Daimler's allegations in its complaint to the EU are simply the latest in a long series of actions to avoid taking a license," he added.

Source: Automotive News