OklahomaTuba
1/23/2006, 11:27 AM
Cause it may not be working soon.
Supreme Court rules against BlackBerry
High court rejects Research in Motion petition to consider ruling that could shut e-mail service.
January 23, 2006: 10:58 AM EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court Monday turned down a request to review a major patent-infringement ruling against the maker of the BlackBerry e-mail device.
The high court rejected a petition by Research In Motion to review a federal appeals court ruling that could lead to a shutdown of most U.S. BlackBerry sales and service.
RIM (down $1.77 to $64.85, Research) shares fell 3 percent in morning trading on the Nasdaq, having fallen by as much as 5 percent immediately after the ruling.
On Oct. 26, Chief Justice John Roberts turned down a request by RIM to stay the lower court's patent infringement ruling while the high court considered whether to hear a RIM appeal.
The case goes back to 2002, when patent holding company NTP Inc. successfully sued RIM in a lower court. It won an injunction in 2003 to halt U.S. sales of the BlackBerry and shut down its service, although that ruling was stayed pending appeal.
The appeals court scaled back the initial ruling, but still concluded that RIM infringed on NTP patents.
RIM and NTP reached a tentative $450 million settlement on the dispute in March, but the deal fell apart in June. RIM wants the lower court to enforce the agreement.
NTP has asked the trial judge in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to confirm the injunction. It has said an injunction would not affect BlackBerry products used by U.S. federal, state, or local governments.
RIM's total BlackBerry subscriber account base was approximately 4.3 million at the end of its fiscal third quarter. Despite the pending litigation, that base is growing, with the company adding about 645,000 new subscribers in the third quarter.
Supreme Court rules against BlackBerry
High court rejects Research in Motion petition to consider ruling that could shut e-mail service.
January 23, 2006: 10:58 AM EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court Monday turned down a request to review a major patent-infringement ruling against the maker of the BlackBerry e-mail device.
The high court rejected a petition by Research In Motion to review a federal appeals court ruling that could lead to a shutdown of most U.S. BlackBerry sales and service.
RIM (down $1.77 to $64.85, Research) shares fell 3 percent in morning trading on the Nasdaq, having fallen by as much as 5 percent immediately after the ruling.
On Oct. 26, Chief Justice John Roberts turned down a request by RIM to stay the lower court's patent infringement ruling while the high court considered whether to hear a RIM appeal.
The case goes back to 2002, when patent holding company NTP Inc. successfully sued RIM in a lower court. It won an injunction in 2003 to halt U.S. sales of the BlackBerry and shut down its service, although that ruling was stayed pending appeal.
The appeals court scaled back the initial ruling, but still concluded that RIM infringed on NTP patents.
RIM and NTP reached a tentative $450 million settlement on the dispute in March, but the deal fell apart in June. RIM wants the lower court to enforce the agreement.
NTP has asked the trial judge in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to confirm the injunction. It has said an injunction would not affect BlackBerry products used by U.S. federal, state, or local governments.
RIM's total BlackBerry subscriber account base was approximately 4.3 million at the end of its fiscal third quarter. Despite the pending litigation, that base is growing, with the company adding about 645,000 new subscribers in the third quarter.