Blackberry settles court case with NTP

4 March 2006 17:43 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Blackberry maker RIM has reached a settlement to end the dispute that could have closed the service in the US.

The company, Research in Motion, said on Friday that is has agreed a full and final settlement with software firm NTP.

RIM has paid NTP $612.5 million in full and final settlement of all claims against RIM, as well as for a perpetual, fully-paid up license going forward. This amount includes money already escrowed by RIM to date.

All terms of the agreement have been finalized and the litigation against RIM has been dismissed by a court order this afternoon.

The company said the agreement eliminates the need for any further court proceedings or decisions relating to damages or injunctive relief.

The news comes just 2 weeks after Blackberry owners in the US were given a brief reprise following a judge's deciding to not impose an immediate injunction and thereby close the service.

The decision, had it gone the other way, would have meant that thousands of workers in the US would have had to face Monday morning without email on the go.

NTP, which had claimed RIM stole its technology, had tried to get the Blackberry service shut in the US.

"NTP grants RIM an unfettered right to continue its business, including its Blackberry-related business."

The settlement brings to end 4 years of legal dispute in the US between the two companies.

Full tags

Biz, Lawsuits, RIM, NTP, Phones, Sony, N-Gage, 3G, AOL