Anxiety rises as BlackBerry deal unravels

Iria · Jun 13, 2005, 07:59 PM

Research In Motion's BlackBerry long ago became a crucial communications tool for employees of the Turner Broadcasting System.

So the possibility that the wireless e-mail service could be shut down in the United States--a prospect that again emerged last week after the collapse of a settlement between RIM and a small patent holding company--was not welcomed by Turner employees or anyone else who uses the popular device.

Turner Broadcasting has a contingency plan to switch employees to another wireless e-mail service, but the process will leave many of them without service for about two to three months.

For three and a half years, patent claims by NTP, which is based in Arlington, Va., have been a cloud over Research In Motion, based in Waterloo, Ontario. But the announcement last week that a $450 million agreement reached in March was unraveling came at a particularly delicate time.

In a court filing that followed, the privately held NTP indicated that if the settlement cannot be revived, it plans to invoke an injunction banning sales of BlackBerry devices and their e-mail service throughout the United States.

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Read More / Source: News.com

Jun 13, 2005, 07:59 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	Anxiety rises as BlackBerry deal unravels Research In Motion's BlackBerry long ago became a crucial communications tool for employees of the Turner Broadcasting System. So the possibility that the wireless e-mail service could be shut down in the United States--a prospect that again emerged last week after the collapse of a settlement between RIM and a small patent holding company--was not welcomed by Turner employees or anyone else who uses the popular device. Turner Broadcasting has a contingency plan to switch employees to another wireless e-mail service, but the process will leave many of them without service for about two to three months. For three and a half years, patent claims by NTP, which is based in Arlington, Va., have been a cloud over Research In Motion, based in Waterloo, Ontario. But the announcement last week that a $450 million agreement reached in March was unraveling came at a particularly delicate time. In a court filing that followed, the privately held NTP indicated that if the settlement cannot be revived, it plans to invoke an injunction banning sales of BlackBerry devices and their e-mail service throughout the United States. ___________ Read More / Source: News.com