Tim Frain's Software Patent Activism in the name of Nokia, EICTA et al
Tim Frain, a British patent lawyer, works in Nokia's patent department and has been using this post to spend most of his time on lobbying the UK and the EU for a directive in favor of the European Patent Office's current practise of granting patents on computer programs, "computer program products", data processing methods etc. Frain has for long periods of time been a quasi-permanent resident of the European Parliament. Frain has been wearing that hat of Nokia, EICTA and Campaign For Creativity. Opera Inc has protested with Nokia against his activities, but Nokia's CEO was unable to refrain him. Frain's argumentation usually consists of very little else than wild claims of representing "the industry". Frain can however also give courteous lectures about the EPO's and Commission's policies that would fully qualify him as a competent ghostwriter even for these institutions. Frain has excellent contacts at this level as well as with the framers of the UK's patent policies.
News & Chronology
- 2004-11-xx UK event with Frain
2004-09-24 Tim Frain's presentation at Eicta conference
2004-10-00 Frain works intensively on Campaign For Creativity
- 2004-05-00 Frain prepares an aborted "Urgent Call for Action" which brings bad publicity to Nokia in Finland
2002-07-09 Frain presentation (reads like a presentation from CEC DG Markt)
Tim Frain about FFII (2004-09-24)
- Well-orchestrated, pro-active opposition from parts of Open Source Software (OSS) community:
- Ideological, anti-globalisation platform
- Often using misleading arguments
- Mostly non-users of patents
- Based on "fear" of patents (patent thicket)
- Perception is they speak for all SMEs*, inc. spin-outs
- Sympathetic MEPs, especially socialists in some Member States, and the Greens generally
Tim Frain paints us as left-wing anti-globalisation critics. Tim Frain uses misleading arguments such as the TRIPs obligations legend.
