Nokia Sues RIM Over Wi-Fi Technology Patents
With so much at stake in the mobile sector, companies seem to be suing each other left right over various technology patents. The newest lawsuit comes from Nokia, which is seeking a BlackBerry sales ban in the U.S. and U.K. over Wi-Fi related patents.
The Finnish handset maker wants Research In Motion (RIM) to pay royalties on sales of any Wi-Fi enabled devices. RIM isn't disputing that Nokia owns the patents in question, but the Canadian company does contend that an earlier license agreement with Nokia dating back to 2003 has the company in the clear.
According to Nokia, the original license agreement only covers standards essentials patents and not the manufacture and sale of WLAN products.
There are half a dozen patents that Nokia claims RIM is violating. They cover technologies and functions such as user adjustable modes for phones, call alerts during silent mode, call rejection, the user interface, and more.
The lawsuit comes at a time when both companies are trying to regain relevance in a mobile world largely dominated by Android and iOS. Nokia these days finds itself heavily invested in Microsoft's Windows Phone platform, while RIM is getting ready to release BlackBerry 10 software.
The Finnish handset maker wants Research In Motion (RIM) to pay royalties on sales of any Wi-Fi enabled devices. RIM isn't disputing that Nokia owns the patents in question, but the Canadian company does contend that an earlier license agreement with Nokia dating back to 2003 has the company in the clear.
According to Nokia, the original license agreement only covers standards essentials patents and not the manufacture and sale of WLAN products.
There are half a dozen patents that Nokia claims RIM is violating. They cover technologies and functions such as user adjustable modes for phones, call alerts during silent mode, call rejection, the user interface, and more.
The lawsuit comes at a time when both companies are trying to regain relevance in a mobile world largely dominated by Android and iOS. Nokia these days finds itself heavily invested in Microsoft's Windows Phone platform, while RIM is getting ready to release BlackBerry 10 software.
