Nokia's head of IP policy, Collette Rawnsley, has expressed concerns regarding European Union's (EU) proposed draft rules, claiming that they are unbalanced and ignore a fundamental problem for patent owners, potentially undermining Europe's leadership.

Essentially, the draft rules aimed at staving off patent spats and addressing the issue of hold-out, where bad faith implementers avoid or delay taking a license and paying for innovative technology that they are using. The proposal puts the onus and cost on patent owners and could lead to regulatory intervention and changes to the standard essential patent (SEP) licensing framework, making European forums for standardization less attractive.

EU's proposal suggests that patent owners should register their patents with the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) if they want to charge patent fees or take legal action. Rawnsley stated that the regulations appear one-sided and that the draft rules could make it more difficult for patent owners to protect their intellectual property and benefit from the fruits of their innovation.