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Hopes Rise for RIM

Posted by Zonk on from the hold-together-baby dept.

sbowles writes "U.S. District Court has set Feb 24th as the next date for a hearing to consider a possible injunction against Research in Motion. Despite this, RIM shares are rising on news that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), under pressure from crackberry-addicted Congressmen, may be moving to invalidate NTP's patents. As a contingency, RIM has announced that they have a software workaround that will allow service to continue uninterrupted."

6 of 143 comments (clear)

  1. Workaround... by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 2, Interesting

    So what happens to SCo's case if the work around is accepted and validated by a higher court? That's right- they'd be hosed! Well, more so, but it will be interesting to see how this case plays out and the ripples that it causes.

    --
    If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
  2. Invalidation irrelevant by blair1q · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The invalidation would be irrelevant and unnecessary if RIM has workarounds.

    They're not making any money from already-sold devices.

    And they'll be able to continue selling new ones.

    They'll spend a few bucks selling firmware upgrades, if that's even possible.

    Or they'll sell "upgraded" devices (maybe at a slim discount) to current customers.

    Now, that might invite a class-action lawsuit from Blackberry owners claiming they were defrauded by someone selling pirated IP, but when has that ever cost any company what it was really worth to the class?

    At worst, the judge will order RIM to pay a reasonable royalty. Shutting down the network would not be a legal option.

    Now, where's my broker's number? I need to text him a buy order....

  3. How is RIM relevant to me? by pestie · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Am I the only person here who's never used a Blackberry and never known anyone who's used one?

    Yes, I know some genius is going to reply "Yes." and probably get modded +5, Funny for it. But I'm serious. I've never seen one of these things in use.

  4. Re:Only /slightly/ off-topic by Zontar_Thing_From_Ve · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "Crackberry" refers to the device. The term is used because so many of the users act like crack addicts - they can't go anywhere without their Blackberry and they stop whatever they are doing (talking, eating, etc.) the second the freakin' thing vibrates to let them know they have email because that email is far far more important than any other person they might be interacting with at the time. Some of the criticisms could be directed at cell phone users too because they often exhibit some of the same characteristics. People that get a Blackberry act like they can't live without it. Personally, I hope I never get one and at present, my company sees little value in it because we have cell phones they use to reach us 24x7 in emergencies.

  5. Blackberry = Packet Radio = 1980 by Deeper+Thought · · Score: 5, Interesting
    NTP filed their patents in the 90's.

    Hams have used Packet Radio since 1980. Packet Radio is wireless transmission of ASCII messages, which is what RIM provides via Blackberry receivers. How is this not prior art?

    What is packet radio: http://www.choisser.com/packet/part01.html
    Wiki on Packet Radio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packet_radio

  6. RIM's hands aren't clean. by emil · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I don't know much about it, but this guy's comment doesn't make RIM look likely to be a good poster boy for patent reform.