Did RIM pay up too early?
After a lengthy legal battle, Research in Motion paid patent holding firm NTP for infringement and future use of NTP's patents related to wireless handheld devices. The settlement was
announced about a month ago, to the tune of a $450 million payment.
BusinessWeek is
reporting that earlier this month the US Patent & Trademark Office rejected one of the five patents NTP pressured RIM with.
bq. "On Apr. 6, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office rejected one of the five patents NTP had accused RIM of infringing and gave a strong indication that the other disputed four might soon be rejected upon reexamination as well. The agency has been taking a second look at more than 2,000 claims made on a total of eight NTP patents, including the five that RIM allegedly infringed, ever since Arlington (Va).-based concern sued RIM in December, 2002. After more than two years, the officials have rejected all 523 claims NTP made on three of those patents."
This may mean the case really isn't over. Depending on the rulings of the patent office, RIM will have a chance to appeal and get back the $450 settlement. There is likely several more years of litigation left in this case.
[via
Gigaom]
