Nokia head of patents to depart
Ilkka Rahnasto, the head of Nokia’s patent business, will depart from the company to take up a role elsewhere.
Nokia confirmed the move to WIPR today, October 4, but did not state where or what role Rahnasto is leaving for.
Rahnasto has served as head of Nokia’s patent business since 2014, before which he held the role of deputy chief legal officer for the company.
With a 21-year tenure at Nokia, Rahnasto has played a pivotal role in many of Nokia’s licensing agreements.
In July 2017, Nokia announced that it received a $2 billion payment from Apple as part of a patent licensing agreement that the companies reached earlier that year.
Of the €369 million ($424.5 million) of net sales made by Nokia Technologies—a division of Nokia which develops consumer products and licenses technology—in the second quarter of 2017, €357 million related to patent and brand licensing.
Earlier this year, in August, WIPR reported that Nokia would cap 5G patent licensing fees at €3 ($3.48) per device when standards for the new mobile technology are finalised, expected to be later this year.
At the time, Rahnasto said the announcement was an important step in helping companies to plan for the introduction of 5G/NR-capable mobile phones, with the first commercial launches of such products expected in 2019.
Nokia has also entered into licensing agreements with numerous handset manufacturers, including Chinese phone makers Xiaomi in July 2017 and Huawei in December that year.
Rahnasto’s patent business responsibilities will be split between Jenni Lukander (head of Nokia Technologies’ patent business) and Eeva Hakoranta (head of IP at Nokia).
A spokesperson for Nokia said the company wished Rahnasto all the best.
They added: “Our licensing business is delivering great results, with strong leadership and a world-class team of licensing and technical experts. We continue to sign new licensees for our industry-leading patent portfolios, in the mobile phone industry and beyond.”
Richard Vary, a partner at Bird & Bird in London and former head of litigation at Nokia, said that Rahnasto was great to work with.
“He really understands IP and is probably the most experienced practitioner of IP licensing in the industry today. He led Nokia successfully through the smartphone wars of the last 15 years and built an amazingly successful and respected licensing business.”
Vary added that when working with Rahnasto, “you really had to make sure you had thought through everything before presenting to him, because he was certain to spot the flaws in any half-thought-through plans”.
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