Wi-LAN expands lawsuits to target cellphone makers

The Ottawa, Canada-based business Wi-LAN has added three more companies to a list of ongoing lawsuits, Reuters reports. It is now targeting three cellphone makers, specifically Motorola, UTStarcom, and BlackBerry creator Research in Motion. The companies are specifically accused of violating Wi-LAN patents, and litigation is already in progress at the Marshall Division of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The court is well known for ruling in favor of patent suit plaintiffs.

Wi-LAN's profit is derived solely from buying and selling patent licenses, and the company last year began infringement suits against over 20 corporations, including Apple, Dell, Intel, Sony, Texas Instruments and Toshiba. Many of these have yet to be resolved, but Wi-LAN says it has settled a case with Marvell through a court in northern California.

Filed under: industry
Other story tags: Motorola, Research in Motion, RIM, lawsuits, UTStarcom, Wi-LAN