The court overseeing the patent case against RIM filed by NTP handed RIM another defeat earlier today by ruling that it would neither put off further proceedings pending patent reexaminations nor enforce the terms of an earlier settlement agreement between the parties. The court’s actions mean that NTP most likely has clear sailing to force RIM back to the settlement table by asking the court for an injunction against US Blackberry sales, which represent about 70% of RIM’s top line.
There is at least one more turn to go before this soap opera is over, though. In a press release about the ruling RIM repeated its claim that it has already engineered a software workaround in case an injunction is issued. Most industry analysts expect the parties to work out and execute a settlement this time, rather than walk away as they did earlier this year.
Today’s ruling could also have a near-term deleterious effect of RIM’s financial growth. The company lowered its Q3 and Q4 subscriber estimates last week, and said today would look into the ‘accounting implications’ of the ruling.
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