InterDigital Inc (IDCC)

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update:=DJ NTP Asks Court For $126M In Blackberry Damages >RIMM
Mark H. Anderson Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
Richmond, Va. (Dow Jones)--NTP Inc., a McLean, Va. patent-holding company, on Friday asked a U.S. district court to issue a patent injunction against Blackberry maker Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM) and award $126 million in damages plus accrued royalties for patent infringement.
"The world, we suggest, will not come to an end," said James Wallace, an attorney for NTP. He said the federal court could issue its injunction and RIM could work around the patent-infringement claims and customers could turn to competing products if necessary.
U.S. District Judge James Spencer is holding an injunction hearing in the long-running battle between the two companies. NTP has won several patent infringement claims for wireless email processes in court against RIM, which as 4.4 million subscribers for its popular Blackberry device.
Judge Spencer, so far, has not tipped his hand on how he might rule, as both sides make extensive oral arguments to the court.
After the BlackBerry device came on the market, NTP alleged Research In Motion violated several of its patents with the BlackBerry devices and won a judgment in federal court. NTP doesn't make a competing product but owns patents on wireless e-mail delivery methods.
As the case wound through numerous appeals, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has reached a different conclusion about the disputed patents. In preliminary rulings - and one final ruling this week - the patent office has rejected NTP's claims.
Attempts to settle the dispute have failed, leaving the immediate outcome in the hands of Judge Spencer. Judge Spencer has already ruled the BlackBerry maker should pay NTP $53 million in damages and an 8.55% royalty rate, prompting RIM to set aside $244 million to cover the potential payments.
-By Mark H. Anderson, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9230

(END) Dow Jones Newswires
02-24-06 1028ET
Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.