Surely by now you’ve heard that Research in Motion settled with NTP for $612.5 million. The question is why? It seemed like RIM had things going in it’s favor. Judge Spencer decided not to impose an injunction against RIM. The USPTO has started rejecting NTP patents on final review. No invalidated patent has ever been appealed successfully. Why would RIM pay NTP $612.5 million for rejected patents?

As RIM co-CEO Jim Balsille simply put it, Research in Motion definitely “took one for the team”. In a NewsWeek interview shortly after the settlement, Balsillie said that the RIM was “definitely seeing an effect of the case on business.” “The chances the those patents will survive are zero,” however, the court has said that it will not wait for the USPTO to complete it’s review.

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