Good Technology has settled the bitter legal dispute with Research in Motion, agreeing to pay the litigious Canadian pager company a lump sum and quarterly licensing fees.

RIM had filed four suits against Good, arguing that the start-up engaged in"misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract, tortious interference with contracts and prospective economic relations, unfair competition, unjust enrichment, breach of implied duty of good faith and fair dealing, and civil conspiracy."

However, RIM's fate hangs in the balance. Patent licensing outfit NTP and Xerox both claim RIM infringed on its patents; a judge has already ordered RIM to pay damages and an injunction issued last summer could prevent RIM selling its Blackberry devices. That's pending the results of a re-examination of NTP's patents by the US Patent Office. The uncertainty has spread to the market. Both Nokia and PalmOne have held back from offering RIM software on their new devices in the US, citing the NTP lawsuit. ®

Related stories

RIM: bumper BlackBerry harvest
Good spreads sync goodness to Pocket PC
Wireless industry intellectually challenged

RIM vs Good

Good Technology launches direct RIM competitor
RIM unleashes more lawyers on Good
Judge blows Lawsuits in Motion a Raspberry

RIM vs Handspring

RIM granted handheld email patent - clobbers Handspring
Readers scorn 'Lawsuits in Motion' keyboard claim
RIM keyboard patent harmful only to RIM - experts
Handspring settles Lawsuits in Motion suit

NTP, Xerox vs RIM

RIM faces fresh lawsuit
Lawsuits In Motion files suit against Xerox
Lawsuits in Motion to pay $53m

We'll come quietly - RIM licensing deals

RIM snares Nokia, Palm as licensees
Symbian and Microsoft sign RIM deals
Palm licenses LIM's secret fusion formula
SonyEricsson follows Palm in RIM deal