[July 4th]

I don't know how long this will stay in breaking, but for those of us who use these addictive little things, this is major.

[llevrok]

many hand othopedic doctors are also cheering !!!

[AZRepublican]

WOW, extortion does pay after all! NTP was on life support after their claims were unraveling.

[July 4th]

To answer my own statement, apparently not long at all.

[FreePaul]

Anyone know if RIM has patents that would discourage others from competing? I doubt that the NTP "patents" would stand in the way.

[MississippiMan]

My post from another thread, maybe three days ago:

Well, we'll see what happens. As I stated earlier, I fully expect that within a few days we'll see either a settlement or a U.S. Blackberry shutdown, government clients excepted.

RIM could've avoided all of it if not for their early arrogance and the subsequent choices of its CEO. It'll be interesting to see what happens at the end of the day regarding the PTO's curiously expedient backtracking, as well.

---

Glad to see it settled: Glad that RIM can get on with business, but just as glad that a "little guy" made a heck of an impression on those who would take someone else's creation as their own. Others will no doubt feel differently, but I've been where NTP is, from a perspective of principles, at least.

MM

[narby]

I guess extortion is a pretty good business model. I haven't seen but a handful of patents that deserved the name "patent" in years. Everyone that changes the color of a box thinks they've just invented something, and unfortunatly the USPTO agrees with that nonsense.

[Larry Lucido]

RIM has paid NTP $612.5 million in a "full and final settlement of all claims,"

RIM . . . will record the additional $162.5 million in its fourth-quarter results, it said.

I hope they get that minor juxtoposition of digits resolved before anyone signs anything.

[aculeus]

BBC NEWS version ...

Settlement ends Blackberry case

The maker of the Blackberry device has reached a $612.5m (£349m) settlement to end a legal dispute that could have closed the service in the US.

Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM) said on Friday that the deal with American software firm NTP represented a "full and final settlement".

NTP, which had claimed RIM stole its technology, had tried to get the Blackberry service shut in the US.

The popular portable e-mail device has three million American users.

'Unfettered right'

"All terms of the agreement have been finalised and the litigation against RIM has been dismissed by a court order this afternoon," said RIM.

"The agreement eliminates the need for any further court proceedings or decisions relating to damages or injunctive relief.

"NTP grants RIM an unfettered right to continue its business, including its Blackberry-related business."

The settlement brings to end four years of legal dispute in the US between the two companies.

RIM said it had already put aside $450m for a possible settlement with NTP, and that the additional $162.5m would be recorded in its next quarterly report due in April.

The overall $612.5m settlement compares to the firm's total cash reserves of $1.8bn.

Global popularity

Last year the firms agreed a tentative settlement, but the agreement subsequently collapsed, taking the case all the way to the US Supreme Court.

Earlier this month, the US government asked a federal judge to hold off from a possible shutdown of the Blackberry service, because of the system's popularity among key government employees.

RIM had argued that a shutdown of Blackberry services would impair critical public services.

The Blackberry now has 4.3 million global users.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/business/4773006.stm

Published: 2006/03/03 22:53:15 GMT

© BBC MMVI

[Pharmboy]

Great! I will now be able to CONTINUE to work 24/7/365...

[RIGHT IN LAS VEGAS]

My company gave me one 2 weeks ago....amazing!