The patent infringement spat between Research in Motion
and Good Technology intensified Thursday with yet another lawsuit related to
the user interface of RIM’s BlackBerry handheld devices.
The Ontario, Canada-based RIM, which is already embroiled in
litigation with Good, is again alleging patent infringement and is
seeking injunctive relief and unspecified monetary damages.
Good Technology, which goes head-to-head with RIM in the wireless software
market, set the legal tussle off in May when it sued RIM arguing that the
patent on single unified e-mail claimed by RIM was not valid.
In its latest response, RIM warned it would continue to keep track of Good’s
technology “to determine whether any other rights are violated,” a hint that
more suits may be coming.
While patent infringement suits are par for the course in the technology
industry, RIM’s decision to pile on the legal pressure is further proof that
Good Technology is a bona-fide competitor in the burgeoning wireless space.
Good, based in Sunnyvale, Calif. and backed by Kleiner Perkins Caufield &
Byers and Benchmark Capital, has targeted RIM’s share of the wireless
handheld market with a pocket-sized ‘GoodLink’ device that resembles RIM’s
BlackBerry.
Separately, Good Technology announced it would team up with Microsoft
to tout its GoodLink wireless corporate e-mail and data system
to Microsoft’s partners and resellers at the Fusion 2002 conference in Los
Angeles this week.
At the show, representatives from Microsoft and Cingular plan to present
onstage demonstrations of the GoodLink.