Court lets RIM keep its day job for now

The legal battles never seem to cease for Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM), the Waterloo, Ont.-based manufacturer of BlackBerry handhelds. But, there may be a glimmer of hope for the PDA maker after a U.S. District Court granted the company’s request to stay an injunction, which originally ruled against RIM after a two-year patent duel with Virginia-based NTP Inc.

The injunction would prohibit RIM from selling BlackBerry wireless devices, as well as software and services to the U.S.

NTP’s original lawsuit alleged that RIM infringed on NTP patents covering the use of radio frequency wireless communications in e-mail systems.

In November 2002, a U.S. court found RIM guilty of infringing on five NTP patent – a verdict the company is appealing.

If RIM loses the appeal, the company would be prevented from selling eight BlackBerry models in the U.S. until NTP’s patents expire, which could be as late as May 2012.

Tuesday’s ruling is seen as a win for RIM, according to Henry Bunsow, RIM’s lead counsel and partner at Howrey Simon Arnold & While, LLP. RIM has disputed the validity and infringement of the NTP patents, Bunsow said in a statement, adding that the company continues to believe the November jury verdict was wrong as both a matter of law and fact.

The appeals process could take up to two more years to complete, during which time, RIM will be able to continue its U.S. BlackBerry distribution.

For more information, visit www.rim.com.

Would you recommend this article?

Share

Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you think of this article!
We'd love to hear your opinion about this or any other story you read in our publication.


Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

Featured Download

Featured Articles

Cybersecurity in 2024: Priorities and challenges for Canadian organizations 

By Derek Manky As predictions for 2024 point to the continued expansion...

Survey shows generative AI is a top priority for Canadian corporate leaders.

Leaders are devoting significant budget to generative AI for 2024 Canadian corporate...

Related Tech News

Tech Jobs

Our experienced team of journalists and bloggers bring you engaging in-depth interviews, videos and content targeted to IT professionals and line-of-business executives.

Tech Companies Hiring Right Now