Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/08/rim_defeats_inpro_appeal/
Research in Motion (RIM) has defeated an attempt by a European intellectual property licensing company that the BlackBerry maker had violated a patent for accessing the internet on mobile devices.
The English Court of Appeal this week ruled that RIM's email gadget "owed nothing to the patent" held by Luxembourg-based InPro. Lord Justice Jacob also said InPro's patent was invalid and should be withdrawn.
RIM's win follows InPro's appeal against a similar verdict granted in the BlackBerry company's favour by the English High Court in February 2006 (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/02/rim_beats_inpro_in_uk/). Last year's ruling also declared that InPro's patent was not valid.
InPro registered European Patent EP 0892947B1 in both Germany and the UK, and in 2003 launched legal actions against RIM in each country, the cases coming to court in 2005 (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/01/rim_vs_elonex_inpro/). In Germany, RIM also prevailed last year.
At time, RIM declared InPro's patent claims to be "simple" and "either anticipated or obvious". The Court clearly agreed.
T-Mobile 'all white' with blanched BlackBerry Pearl (12 April 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/04/12/t-mobile_offers_white_pearl/
Options probe forces RIM restatement (5 March 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/05/rim_restates_earnings/
RIM releases Pearl-esque BlackBerry 8800 (12 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/12/rim_releases_blackberry_8800/
RIM, Samsung settle BlackJack brand brawl (8 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/08/samsung_settles_with_rim/
RIM readies new UI, CPU for 3G BlackBerry 9000? (18 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/18/rim_readies_blackberry_9000/
Samsung dealt RIM lawsuit over BlackJack (13 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/13/rim_sues_samsung/
RIM defeats InPro - again (2 February 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/02/rim_beats_inpro_in_uk/
RIM defeats intellectual property firm (30 January 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/01/30/rim_beats_inpro/
RIM battles PDA patent holder in UK court (1 December 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/01/rim_vs_elonex_inpro/
RIM faces fresh lawsuit (28 November 2003)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/11/28/rim_faces_fresh_lawsuit/