Electronista: Research in Motion yesterday filed a lawsuit against rival cellphone designer Motorola, claiming both infringement on patents relating to its handset technology as well abusive licensing practices for its own licenses. Responsible for creating the BlackBerry smartphone line, RIM filed the complaint this weekend in a Northern District of Texas court and argues that Motorola is attempting to exclude competition both by refusing to license certains patents in its phones and by charging “extortionate” licensing fees for those patents it owns, penalizing RIM for using similar technology.
The patents address some of the most important technology at the heart of both firms’ devices, including the ability to connect through Wi-Fi as well as keyboards optimized for thumb typing.
Motorola has so far dismissed the complaint, calling its own patents “critical” to business and saying that it will protect its intellectual property against challenges from competitors.
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