Patent judgement against RIM tossed

A California judge has thrown out a $147.2 million patent judgment against Research in Motion, a piece of good news for the troubled BlackBerry maker. In a review of the case, U.S. District Chief Judge James Ware decided RIM had not infringed on an Mformation patent for wireless mobile device management via BlackBerry Enterprise Server and vacated the fine, PC Magazine reported. "We appreciate the judge's careful consideration of this case," Steve Zipperstein, RIM's chief legal officer, said Thursday in a statement. "RIM did not infringe on Mformation's patent and we are pleased with this victory." The damages awarded initially by the court covered the sale of BES-connected BlackBerry devices sold from Oct. 2008, when the lawsuit was filed. Mformation has the right to appeal, which could lead not to a reinstatement of the award but to a new trial. "Mformation created the mobile device management category in the late 1990s and was innovating in this area well before most of the market understood the fundamental importance of wireless mobility management," Mformation founder Rakesh Kushwaha said in July when the fine was initially handed down. "Our patents are a core part of our innovative products, and are fundamental to the methods used for device management in the market today." Mformation did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest ruling, PC Magazine said.