December 21st, 2007
Details here: BlackBerry-maker RIM gets hit with patent infringement suit
Wireless communications solutions provider TeleCommunication Systems says it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion.
TeleCommunication Systems is charging that RIM infringed on its United States Patent No. 6,871,215. Entitled Universal wireless email reader, the Patent describes methods for users to access and manage multiple email accounts.
This Patent’s Abstract reads:
A universal mail application maintains login with a plurality of email applications for a particular subscriber, presenting Inbox, Outbox, etc., for an email account as desired, without requiring repeated logouts/logins.
The email applications may be defined and identified by email account information files maintained separately for each subscriber, containing, e.g., POP, server and IP address. Sets of email application files corresponding to the multiple email account files contain downloaded and uploaded message files from the respective email application programs.
The multiple email account compilation module may be restricted or throttled back to send/receive email from the relevant email application programs only during desirable times, either on a system wide basis or on a per-subscriber (e.g., class of service) basis.
The subscriber may peruse the relevant email application files, who is prompted on their mobile display for selection of any one of the email accounts at any one time.
Annapolis, Md.-based TCS said it filed the lawsuit ” only after business discussions with RIM failed to resolve the dispute. TCS has retained the law firm of Niro, Scavone, Haller & Niro, a Chicago-based law firm that specializes in intellectual property trials, to litigate the case.
The case is TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. v. Research In Motion Limited, Case No. 1:07cv1277(E.D. Va.).
Russell Shaw is an enterprise computing journalist, analyst and author based in Portland, Oregon. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
