Motorola Versus RIM Case Comes to a Close
Two years of litigation is nothing to shake a stick at and while it lacked the global attention of say the 1995 OJ Simpson trial, Motorola and (Research in Motion) RIM's legal spat has finally come to an end.
Under the terms of the agreement, RIM will pay an up-front fee and ongoing royalties to Motorola. Financial details were not disclosed.
The two companies said they have forged a long-term cross-licensing agreement on patent rights for several different types of high-speed wireless technologies including Wi-Fi and emerging fourth-generation, or 4G, standards.
This clears the way for both companies to start developing 4G products for U.S. carriers.
Electronics firms have increasingly sought the U.S. International Trade Commission as a means of settling disputes and for good reason: While the ITC can't award monetary damages, it can impose a ban on products that infringe on patents, essentially cutting off a company's business. Settlements are typically decided in 14 to 16 months (or sooner) opposed to lengthy lawsuit that can often stretch out for years and years.
Motorola filed the initial complaint against RIM, accusing the BlackBerry maker of patent infringement and unfair trade practices in this case.