NXP sues RIM over BlackBerry, PlayBook patents
updated 03:00 pm EDT, Tue April 3, 2012
RIM faces patent lawsuit by Dutch company NXP
Dutch company NXP BV has filed a lawsuit against Canadian smartphone maker RIM for allegedly infringing on six of the company's patents. The firm is a wholly owned subsidiary of NXP semiconductors and wants compensatory and triple damages, though the numbers aren't revealed. It also seeks a stop of the sale of devices that infringe upon these patents, which include the BlackBerry Torch, Curve, and Bold, as well as the PlayBook tablet.
The controversial patents, which relate to a handset's design and the way it transmits data, were issued between 1997 and 2008. The suit was filed in an Orlando, Florida-based US federal court, and the plaintiff claims include lost profit and reasonable royalties.
RIM will hold its annually BlackBerry World expo in Florida early next month, although it's not expected to encounter problems from the lawsuit. [via Reuters]
