HIGH COURT REFUSES TO HEAR APPEAL IN PATENT DISPUTE
According to an article in ESchool News Online, The U.S Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal by Research in Motion Ltd., a Canadian based company that was challenging a federal appeals court ruling that found it had infringed on the patents held by NTP Inc., a small northern Virgina patent-holding firm, because customers of RIM use the BlackBerry within the United States.
The main issue of this case is how United States law is applied to technology that is used in foreign countries and allegedly infringes on the intellectual property rights of U.S. patent holders.
This decision by the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear the case could have a major impact for more than 3.3 million BlackBerry subscribers in this country. A local example is the Miami Dade County Public Schools in Florida, the nation’s fourth largest K-12 school system, where 150 of these devices were purchased for administrators to communicate during emergency situations in 2002.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding patent law, I recommed you consult with a qualified patent attorney to better help you understand the complexities of intellectual property law, and dealing with the United States Patent & Trademark Office.