March 14, 2006 2:37 PM PST
RIM calls for patent reform in newspaper ad
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In the letter attributed to RIM's co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, RIM said it was "pleased to put this matter behind us and remove any uncertainty from our customers' minds." The ad ran in the Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post and several other papers.
Eleven days ago RIM paid NTP $612.5 million to end the long-running dispute over whether the popular BlackBerry wireless e-mail system infringed on patents held by NTP. Prior to the settlement, Judge James Spencer appeared set to impose an injunction on the sales and support of BlackBerry devices and software in the U.S. after RIM failed to overturn a 2002 jury verdict that it infringed on NTP's patents.
"You can rest assured the BlackBerry is here to stay," RIM said in its letter to the public. However, the company clearly doesn't want to see the current U.S. patent system remain the same.
RIM settled with NTP even though--after the jury verdict and appeals process--the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had has rejected the claims in NTP's five patents at issue in the case. That USPTO decision is not final, as NTP has several routes of appeal, but even if the patents are ultimately rejected, NTP will not have to repay RIM. RIM said earlier this month it had little choice but to settle the case to prevent its customers from delaying new BlackBerry rollouts, but the company appears quite frustrated that the case evolved to this point, as shown in one passage of the letter.
"As to the lingering question of why the patent system should allow such a bizarre set of circumstances to threaten millions of American customers in the first place, we share your concern. The good news is that this topic is currently receiving much more attention from policymakers and the Supreme Court and we hope the patent system will evolve to close the loopholes and become more balanced."
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The NTP owned patents were issued, and were registered and a Jury FOUND that NTP have infringed, what else do they want? Do they want all inventors to roll over and play dead? Do they want ideas thieves with MBAs to get rich off of inventors Intellectual Property?
Grow up you little bullies, and follow the law like the rest of us.
Tuff Dookie RIM!
USA had a $224 *billion* deficit in Q4.
If your products are $140 more expensive than world competitors, how can you sell outside the USA and close that gap?
So USA needs patent reform if it wants to compete in the world and the claim that more patents will substitute for products in trade is 224 billion times false.
NTP are just highwaymen.
You missed a crucial fact: RIM is a Canadian company.
The US are levying a $140 import tax on Blackberries. But of course they won't call that protectionism, and they'll expect everybody else to open their borders to free trade.
Unlike NTP, RIM have actually produced product. I am sure that they did their own R&D, and I don't believe that they deliberately set out to steal NTP's ideas. Correct me if I'm wrong.
From where I am sitting, it looks like NTP are sitting on their ideas, waiting for someone to use them, claiming "I invented that!" and then tying the victim up in litigation. This looks like extortion to me.
RIM does not need to be "remorseful" - they did not pay up because they wished to to license NTP's patents - time will prove the patents invalid - so what should they be remorseful about? RIM paid up because their business is on hold until this is settled. People are not buying product while the future of the technology is in doubt. Effectively this case is holding their business to ransom.
I am disturbed that companies like NTP, Microsoft, IBM et al are frantically patenting everything they can, in the hopes that one day they can extract money one day from those who want to do something with those ideas.
That's not what the patent system is supposed to be for. Patents are intended as a means for inventors to exploit their inventions - not as a means for suit-happy corporations to do nothing but exploit others who are actually making product when they will not.
RE: RIM AND THEIR ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA?
Shame on RIM! They tried to fake us out ? AND LOST! Now they are trying to fake us out and Destroy our patent system.
They cheated, lied, dissembled, faked their software demonstration in court, defamed the REAL American Inventor of their technology, spent millions propagandizing the American public with their Public Relations MISinformation machine, lobbied the American Patent Office, insulted our American courts, jury and legal system ? and LOST AGAIN!
Now they are spending more Millions of dollars to propagandize our Congress and the public with whining and outrageous full page ads in many of our major American publications in an attempt TO DEFORM AND DESTROY THE AMERICAN PATENT SYSTEM. This is the same system that, for 216 years, has protected our famous American innovation from arrogant predators like RIM.
If the American patent system had not worked so well ? they and other Deep Pocket Thieves -- would have been able to steal whatever they wanted and the true creative inventors in America could have done nothing to protect themselves and American ?Inventivity.?
RIM is embarrassing their marvelous country and bringing shame to themselves
Sad that this is coming from Canada ? our closest friend, neighbor and ally.
I won?t use a Blueberry, Strawberry or Dingleberry, or any other Berry as my communication device and hope that other Americans will also refuse to do so. So let?s give a RASPBERRY to the BLACKBERRY. RIM doesn?t deserve our money, support and certainly not ? our protection.
George Margolin
An American Inventor
patentor@gmail.com
RE: RIM AND THEIR ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA?
Shame on RIM! They tried to fake us out ? AND LOST! Now they are trying to fake us out and Destroy our patent system.
They cheated, lied, dissembled, faked their software demonstration in court, defamed the REAL American Inventor of their technology, spent millions propagandizing the American public with their Public Relations MISinformation machine, lobbied the American Patent Office, insulted our American courts, jury and legal system ? and LOST AGAIN!
Now they are spending more Millions of dollars to propagandize our Congress and the public with whining and outrageous full page ads in many of our major American publications in an attempt TO DEFORM AND DESTROY THE AMERICAN PATENT SYSTEM. This is the same system that, for 216 years, has protected our famous American innovation from arrogant predators like RIM.
If the American patent system had not worked so well ? they and other Deep Pocket Thieves -- would have been able to steal whatever they wanted and the true creative inventors in America could have done nothing to protect themselves and American ?Inventivity.?
RIM is embarrassing their marvelous country and bringing shame to themselves
Sad that this is coming from Canada ? our closest friend, neighbor and ally.
I won?t use a Blueberry, Strawberry or Dingleberry, or any other Berry as my communication device and hope that other Americans will also refuse to do so. So let?s give a RASPBERRY to the BLACKBERRY. RIM doesn?t deserve our money, support and certainly not ? our protection.
George Margolin
An American Inventor
patentor@gmail.com
- CNet Shows Bias & Ignores Facts
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by rjriley5000
April 25, 2008 2:30 AM PDT
- It is a shame that cNet keeps regurgitating RIM's propaganda without really bothering to do any serious research. RIM is taking Americans inventions, making millions from them, and using the money to tell everyone that their victims really asked to be raped.
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See all 23 Comments >>Ronald J Riley, President
Professional Inventors Alliance
www.PIAUSA.org
RJR (at) PIAUSA.org
Change "at" to @
RJR Direct # (202) 318-1595