Motorola says RIM infringing UI, Wi-Fi patents

Motorola this afternoon filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission accusing the BlackBerry's creator, Research in Motion, of violating five of its patents. The Droid maker claims that the BlackBerry line copies Motorola technology for app and power management, user interfaces and Wi-Fi. Senior VP of IP law Jonathan Meyer also claims that RIM has been using "delay tactics" in an ongoing patent lawsuit and refusing to change its phones or their software to avoid the dispute.

The ITC request attempts to shut down sales of the BlackBerry and would not only prevent importing new models but would prevent RIM from marketing and selling what already is on shelves in the US.

RIM hasn't yet had an opportunity to respond to the comment.

Motorola's complaint is already believed to be used as a competitive tactic to collect royalties from RIM and would signal an increasing dependence on the ITC to gain advantages in the smartphone business as a whole. It mirrors the battle between Apple and Nokia, where both companies have already filed countering ITC complaints that would theoretically ban most or all of the other's products. Traditionally, these ban attempts have been used to force out-of-court settlements when lawsuits have had little effect.

By Electronista Staff