Research In Motion Ltd. rival Good Technology Inc. announced it entered into a licensing agreement with NTP Inc., the patent-holding company that is suing RIM for its allegedly infringing products.
The licensing arrangement adds yet another layer of complexity to the legal battle between RIM and NTP. It also could give Good a leg up on the issue. If Good is safe from infringing on NTP’s patents, the company could have a slightly stronger stance on the issue in its dealings with customers, carriers and handset vendors.
Under the licensing agreement, Good scores access to five NTP patents. The license “covers certain products and equipment, but excludes network communications services,” the companies said in a statement.
Interestingly, NTP also said it invested an undisclosed amount in Good.
RIM has been tangled in a year’s long legal battle with NTP. The patent holding company asserts that the basics of RIM’s wireless e-mail technology infringe on several of its patents. A jury ruled in favor of NTP, but RIM is currently appealing the ruling. To further cloud the issue, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is reviewing the patents under litigation. Its ruling is expected sometime this year.
