A judge in California has overturned a jury ruling against Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Limited.
In a patent action brought by Mformation in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, the jury ruled last month that RIM would have to pay $147.2 million to Mformation for patent infringement.
After considering motions presented by both parties, as well as the jury verdict, the judge has now determined that the evidence did not support the Jury's finding of patent infringement, and no payment needs to be made.
Mformation still has the right to appeal the judge's ruling, but if successful, a new trial would have to be conducted.
“We appreciate the judge’s careful consideration of this case. RIM did not infringe on Mformation’s patent and we are pleased with this victory,” said Steve Zipperstein, RIM’s chief legal officer.
“The purpose of the patent system is to encourage innovation, but the system is still too often exploited in pursuit of other goals. Many policy makers have already recognized the need to address this problem and we call on others to join them as this case clearly highlights the significant need for continuing policy reform to help reduce the amount of resources wasted on unwarranted patent litigation.”
