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BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. on Thursday signed a deal to license data compression technology from Forgent Networks that covers the popular JPEG imaging file format.
The deal gives RIM license to use the technology in U.S. Patent No. 4,698,672, which has come to be known as “the 672 patent.”
The patent relates to the digital image compression used in cameras, cell phones, printers, scanners and other devices, according to Forgent officials in Austin, Texas. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Over the past three years, Forgent has made more than $100 million in revenue from licensing the 672 patent to more than 40 companies all over the world.
The company has pending litigation against some 40 companies claiming infringement on the patent, including Apple Computer Inc., IBM, Google Inc., Microsoft Corp., TiVo Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., and Eastman Kodak Co.
Meanwhile, Forgent has been busy forging deals with several other companies that werent named in the lawsuit, including RIM.
In April, Microsoft brought Forgent to court, asking a judge to render Forgents patents unenforceable. Forgent responded by countersuing.
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