Case Analysis 2 Netw583

Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufacturers and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market.

1. What were some of the challenges that RIM faced to protect its intellectual property, and how did RIM handle those challenges?

Some of the challenges RIM faced concerning and protecting its intellectual property started in August 1999 when Glenayre Technologies Inc. file a patent infringement suit against RIM concerning a patented process involving power generation from a dual battery source. (Research in Motion Ltd. 2011) The claim made by Glenayre was RIM’s Inter@ctive pager line use their patented process.

In May 2001, RIM filed a patent and trademark infringement complaint against Glenayre Technologies Inc., claiming Glenayre blatantly imitated Blackberry technology and marketing concerning RIM’s “Single Mailbox Integration” Patent which was ultimately settled in favor of RIM. (History of Research in Motion Ltd., 2013)

In June 2002, RIM filed suit against Good Technology and in September 2002 RIM was awarded a patent pertaining to keyboard design n hand-held e-mail devices. RIM proceeded to sue “Handspring over its Treo device, with Handspring agreeing to license RIM’s patent to avoid further litigation. (History of Research in Motion Ltd., 2013)

RIM lost a patent suit brought against them by NTP, Inc., which held a patent that the court said was being used to power Blackberry devices. In early 2003 the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced it would review the decision in NTP Inc. vs RIM and re-examine five RIM patents. In February 2006 the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected all of NTP Inc.’s claims in three disputed patents and in March of that year, RIM announced it had settled its Blackberry patent dispute with NTP. (Samuel, 2011)

Also in 2003, while still embroiled in litigation with NTP and Good...