Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • IT Management
    • Mobile

    BlackBerry Dispute Goes Way Too Far

    By
    David Coursey
    -
    December 5, 2005
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Greg Aharonian, who follows patents pretty closely, says there is probably a book to be written about the four-year battle between Research in Motion and NTP Inc. that now, at least theoretically, threatens e-mail service to 3.5 million BlackBerry users.

      Aharonian is editor of the Internet Patent News Service e-mail list, and I called him to ask if he could think of any patent battle that ever so directly affected customers as the dispute between NTP and RIM now threatens to.

      The best he could come up with was when Polaroid forced Kodak to get out of the instant photography business, after customers had already been using Kodaks instant cameras and film paks. It was a big embarrassment for Kodak at the time, but today hardly anyone (including myself) remembers.

      Most of the time, patent fights end without customers being threatened. Youd think it would be much more to NTPs benefit to take a piece of RIMs revenue in a licensing agreement than to risk losing it all by shutting down BlackBerry e-mail and forcing RIM to use its touted patent-free workaround. It is better for everyone, I think, for the problem to just go away.

      How the RIM and NTP dispute came to such an impasse may be the stuff of which a book could be made, but Im among those who dont care to read such a horror story of bad management. I just want this whole mess to go away without any collateral damage to customers.

      RIM and NTP both get big demerits for not solving their problems years ago. BlackBerry customers must now be considered to be at least a little bit in play, which is a defeat for both companies and an unnecessary opening for competitors, who wont pay NTP anything.

      /zimages/1/28571.gifRivals are waiting to pounce on BlackBerry users. Click here to read more.

      After we discussed BlackBerry, the talk with Aharonian turned to Microsoft and the companys “opening” of the Office file formats, which has also been in the news lately. Theres no love lost between Aharonian and the open source community, whom he says wrongly take credit for something they didnt actually start: the sharing of source code.

      Be that as it may, Aharonian says that fears of Microsofts patents are greatly exaggerated. By Aharonians figuring, many Microsoft patents arent valid and, even if they are, Microsoft could only expect more antitrust troubles if it protected its patents too aggressively. Because of that, companies who might run afoul of Microsofts intellectual property claims shouldnt be too concerned, he told me.

      What he didnt mention, however, was that it really doesnt matter whether the companys patents are valid or not, since Microsoft has the legal and financial resources to keep a competitor tied up for years in a patent dispute. To a large company, this might not be a problem, but for a small one it could lead to bankruptcy. Thats a good reason, I think, for competitors to welcome the covenant not to sue that Microsoft has offered users of its file formats.

      Its not unusual for technology companies to be fighting over patents and intellectual property. It is unusual, however, for the battles to become so public, involving things that customers actually use, like two-way pagers and Office file formats. Im hoping this isnt the beginning of a trend as tech companies take what once were private battles and turn them into public spectacles.

      Contributing editor David Coursey has spent two decades writing about hardware, software and communications for business customers. He can be reached at [email protected]

      /zimages/1/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, reviews and analysis on mobile and wireless computing.

      David Coursey
      One of technology's most recognized bylines, David Coursey is Special Correspondent for eWeek.com, where he writes a daily Blog (blog.ziffdavis.com/coursey) and twice-weekly column. He is also Editor/Publisher of the Technology Insights newsletter and President of DCC, Inc., a professional services and consulting firm.Former Executive Editor of ZDNet AnchorDesk, Coursey has also been Executive Producer of a number of industry conferences, including DEMO, Showcase, and Digital Living Room. Coursey's columns have been quoted by both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and he has appeared on ABC News Nightline, CNN, CBS News, and other broadcasts as an expert on computing and the Internet. He has also written for InfoWorld, USA Today, PC World, Computerworld, and a number of other publications. His Web site is www.coursey.com.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×