Guglielmo Marconi, telecommunications, and World IP Day

“When you hear someone speak of Bolognese cooking, salute it, because this cooking deserves it.”

-Pellegrino Artusi, 1891

As some of you know, I have recently moved back to Italy, to my hometown of Bologna. After more than two decades abroad, I feel like a stranger in my own country. Bologna has changed significantly since I left, mainly for the better. It became a buzzling tourist town, with tour guides chaperoning groups from all over the world through medieval alleys and historical “botteghe”. The local culinary treats, from tagliatelle to lasagne and much more, have become a sought-after touristic attraction.

Bologna is also a city of entrepreneurs and inventors. The oldest university in the world has kept up with changing times, and it has remained a beacon for innovation. Several startups and SMEs have flourished in the cradle of the Università di Bologna and its ecosystem, some to become global leaders in their fields. The Bologna airport is named after probably one of its most known citizens and innovators: Guglielmo Marconi. The father of telecommunications was born in Bologna 149 years ago yesterday, on the 25th of April of 1874.

World IP Day precisely falls the day after Marconi’s birthday, and I find that coincidence quite fitting. The level of innovation spurred by IP systems around the world is unprecedented. The transfer of knowledge is accelerated by the patent system, and specialization of work is enhanced by licensing. But ultimately, World IP Day is a celebration of the visionaries like Marconi.

As I reflect on innovation from my newly gained European vantage point, I note that Europe has been at the forefront of technological progress on many fronts, in particular when it comes to IP and telecommunications. One of the most successful Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) that brought us 3G, 4G and now 5G, ETSI, is based in Sophia Antipolis, in Southern France. Two of the major innovators in telecom and implementers of mobile networks, one of which is my employer 爱立信 , are based in Europe. And now with the advent of the Unitary Patent Court (UPC), Europe can become a leader in settling patent disputes, effectively competing with larger patent jurisdictions like the US and China.

Despite this tangible leadership, the European Commission is showing at least ambivalence when it comes to the protection of IP and the protection of those investments that have led us to where we are in telecom. The recently-leaked draft legislation on the licensing of standard-essential patents (supposedly to be officially unveiled today, although as I write that has not been announced yet) is a surprising move that appears to go against global industry practices that were created gradually over the past decades and have resulted in a balanced ecosystem empowering businesses and connecting more than 5,5 billion people in the world today. Many analysts have commented extensively on the leaked draft, and it is not my intention to repeat those arguments. I note however that this legislation, at least in the form that I have seen, could undermine European leadership in telecom and global standards in dangerous ways. It will also make Europe less relevant and less competitive when compared to other major markets.

I am also puzzled by the plan to unveil such draft legislation on World IP Day. On the day we celebrate innovation and progress, the Commission plans to release a document that will undermine European competitiveness in the innovation ecosystem. I urge the Commission to reconsider this legislation, and I join the plea of many asking the Commission to engage in a thorough consultation with all stakeholders in order to find an industry-backed solution that can help the further evolution of the global standardization ecosystem.

I am fortunate to work closely to many brilliant innovators and scientists. And I can count several innovators in fields far from my expertise as friends. I encourage regulators to promote policies that can act as catalysts for innovation and investments, not the opposite. Happy World IP Day to all of you.