Research in Motion - Rim

Case Study- Week 3-Research in Motion-RIM

TM583

May 19, 2012

RIM-Research in Motion is one of the top designers, developer, and marketing agents of the new technologically advanced wireless services and devices. This company is used by worldwide and global business and consumer markets. The products and services provided by RIM give businesses and consumers access to the information they need in a real time format at the touch of a button.

Since RIM's beginning in 1984 by two University students Mike Lazardis and Douglas Fregin in Waterloo, Ontario Canada. The company has created a name for it self by being "a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionizing the mobile industry" since its introduction of the Blackberry back in 1999 (RIM, 2012). This Canadian based company has seen its shares of challenges in their quest to be the leading innovator in wireless communication and services. Over the years since RIM's start they have been involved in a series of suits relating to alleged patent infringement by other companies.

In 2001, RIM sued one of there competitor's "Glenayre Electronics, Inc." for infringement on there "Single Mailbox" patent. The company soon settled. That very next year RIM filed a suit against another of there competitor companies "Good Technology". Good Technology agreed to a licensing deal and settling the litigation. During this same year RIM was sued by NTP, Inc. for patent infringement on there part. NTP sent an offer to RIM in 2000 to have their wireless email license patent to them and RIM never responded. This invoked NTP's response of the lawsuit again RIM. After a 4 year long battle NTP announced the settlement of their dispute for 612.5 million dollars in March of 2006.

Before long, RIM began to get the name Lawsuit in Motion as the company was hit with more lawsuits. In May of 2006, Visto Corp sued RIM for patent infringement of 4 patents. The case was settled in 2009, with RIM paying out 267.5 million plus other undisclosed items. That following year, RIM was the sued by Motorola Corporation, stating that they infringed on five of Motorola's patents. RIM countersued that same day stating that Motorola was displaying a non competitive behavior and they had broken an agreement already set in place. The suit was settled out of court less than 6 months later.

In recent years, as RIM continue to grow as the leading innovator in wireless technology they still continue to face opposition and in April of this year they were sued again by a Dutch semiconductor company called NXP, the company "alleges that the versions of RIM's blackberry and Playbook tablet infringed on patents issued to it between 1997 and 2008. The patents in question relate to the design,