RIM defeats patent appeal challenge

InPro's internet-by-mobile IP should be revoked, says judge

By Tony Smith • Get more from this author

Posted in Financial News, 8th February 2007 09:53 GMT

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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 Lord Justice Jacob also said InPro's patent was invalid and should be withdrawn.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. 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. 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.