RIM Job
According to Blitzer, Research In Motion, the folks responsible for the Blackberry communications device have just settled a suit with patent holder NTP for a reported US$615.5 million dollars. I think it’s an annoying little device and wouldn’t mind seeing them at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. I understand the need that some people have for the device, just not the obsession that some have with it. I was an early adopter of mobile email in the early years, but opted to start leading a less plugged in life.
Considering the way RIM bluffed through the original trial, at one point fabricating a demo (much in the same way Microsoft did in the anti trust case) they should feel lucky they didn’t get hit harder. Then the bluff of the so called “plan b” which they threatened over the last few months was mearly a smoke screen. If they did have an alternative plan that worked they would have used it. They didn’t and were hoping to last until the USPTO could invalidate the patents and let them off scot free. That wasn’t meant to be. If anything, perhaps this will cast a light on other patents that are lodged and granted with little or no forethought. In this case NTP did try to make a like device predating the Blackberry by several years, but failed. The founder died a few years ago as this was working its way through the court. Still though, there are many broad and in my opinion over reaching patents and if nothing else at least this has brought the isssue to light, if only for a short time.