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."

The terse statement issued by both parties today didn't elaborate on the deal. It's clear that RIM got what it wanted - a licensing deal - although we don't know how much. RIM has struck licensing deals for its software with Microsoft, Palm, Symbian, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. Good Technology runs on Palm and Pocket PC. But its only smart phone deal is for Motorola's do-it-all, dual hinge MPx handheld.

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 (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/30136.html)
Good spreads sync goodness to Pocket PC (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/64/35323.html)
Wireless industry intellectually challenged (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/69/36080.html)

RIM vs Good

Good Technology launches direct RIM competitor (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/25248.html)
RIM unleashes more lawyers on Good (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/26165.html)
Judge blows Lawsuits in Motion a Raspberry (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/27540.html)

RIM vs Handspring

RIM granted handheld email patent - clobbers Handspring (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/7/27205.html)
Readers scorn 'Lawsuits in Motion' keyboard claim (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/27253.html)
RIM keyboard patent harmful only to RIM - experts (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/27423.html)
Handspring settles Lawsuits in Motion suit (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/27948.html)

NTP, Xerox vs RIM

RIM faces fresh lawsuit (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/34263.html)
Lawsuits In Motion files suit against Xerox (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/32028.html)
Lawsuits in Motion to pay $53m (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/32188.html)

We'll come quietly - RIM licensing deals

RIM snares Nokia, Palm as licensees (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/28023.html)
Symbian and Microsoft sign RIM deals (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/29781.html)
Palm licenses LIM's secret fusion formula (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/27997.html)
SonyEricsson follows Palm in RIM deal (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/34659.html)