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Settlement Not an Option, RIM Says
By Larry Hendrick | February 27, 2006
Well, it looks like RIM will be eating all these words over the next few years. The $600+ Million dollar settlement is a slightly different outcome than RIM predicted just a few days ago. Oh, and by the way, this settlement is almost $200 million more than NTP had offered RIM before. I could make all kinds of jokes about the intelligence and leadership abilities of the RIM CEO, but I will let you make your own.
Settlement Not an Option, RIM Chairman Says
But even after being scolded in court, executives at BlackBerry maker Research In Motion say that settlement is not an option, claiming that plaintiff NTP has yet to propose a reasonable resolution…
…”Settlement has never been an option to date,” said Jim Balsillie, chairman and co-CEO of RIM on Feb. 24.
…Judge James Spencer ruled in favor of NTP in 2003, instructing RIM to halt its sales of BlackBerry devices and services in the United States until NTP’s patents run out in 2012.
…”I must say I’m surprised that you have left this important and incredibly significant decision to the court,” Spencer said in a hearing on the injunction here Feb. 24.
…NTP maintains that it has offered nothing but fair deals to RIM, using royalty rates based on a jury decision in 2003.
“Basically what you have here is a squatter,” said James Wallace, an attorney with Wiley Rein and Fielding LLP, during a court hearing here on Feb. 24.
“RIM is guilty of willful infringement and continues to infringe, day after day….We’d be willing to drop the injunction if they’d just pay up.”
…”RIM has rejected our efforts, stalled the proceedings and attempted to undermine the process every step of the way. We have acted to protect our interests and will do so in the future as should all patent owners.”
Topics: Technology |