OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian technology licensing company Wi-Lan Inc (WIN.TO) has launched a new round of patent infringement lawsuits, targeting Motorola Inc (MOT.N), Research In Motion (RIM.TO), and UTStarcom Inc (UTSI.O), the company said on Friday.
Wi-Lan said it has started litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division, alleging that the companies mobile devices and other equipment infringe Wi-Lan patents. It did not specify what damages or remedies it will seek under the legal action.
It is impossible to predict the outcome of such a case, said Haywood Securities analyst Dev Bhangui, because companies typically come under heavy pressure to settle outside court and avoid the risk of an uncertain ruling.
"Its a high-stakes poker game," he said.
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, for example, paid NTP Inc 612.5 million to settle a damaging and drawn-out patent infringement fight in 2006.
Shares in Wi-Lan gained nearly 10 percent to C1.92 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Friday. The one-time market darling has slumped more than 75 percent in the past 16 months as investors fretted over its unpredictable revenue stream.
The Ottawa-based company also said on Friday that it has settled its dispute with Marvell Semiconductor Inc (MRVL.O) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. It did not disclose terms.
Wi-Lan recently said that it has cash reserves of nearly C92 million to fight patent suits and negotiate deals. In late 2007, the company launched litigation against 22 major technology manufacturers, including Apple, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Intel, claiming patent infringement.
Formerly a money-losing wireless equipment maker, Wi-Lan switched gears in 2006 to build a storehouse of patents through acquisition.
The company has licensed intellectual property to more than 100 companies and has more than 300 issued or pending patents in a range of electronics and communications products, it said.
Wi-Lan has been accused of being a patent troll, a pejorative term that refers to a company that doesnt make anything, but holds patents and exists solely to sue others in the industry.
(1=1.02 Canadian)
(Reporting by Susan Taylor and Leah Schnurr; Editing by Peter Galloway)
Wi-Lan said it has started litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division, alleging that the companies mobile devices and other equipment infringe Wi-Lan patents. It did not specify what damages or remedies it will seek under the legal action.
It is impossible to predict the outcome of such a case, said Haywood Securities analyst Dev Bhangui, because companies typically come under heavy pressure to settle outside court and avoid the risk of an uncertain ruling.
"Its a high-stakes poker game," he said.
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, for example, paid NTP Inc 612.5 million to settle a damaging and drawn-out patent infringement fight in 2006.
Shares in Wi-Lan gained nearly 10 percent to C1.92 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Friday. The one-time market darling has slumped more than 75 percent in the past 16 months as investors fretted over its unpredictable revenue stream.
The Ottawa-based company also said on Friday that it has settled its dispute with Marvell Semiconductor Inc (MRVL.O) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. It did not disclose terms.
Wi-Lan recently said that it has cash reserves of nearly C92 million to fight patent suits and negotiate deals. In late 2007, the company launched litigation against 22 major technology manufacturers, including Apple, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Intel, claiming patent infringement.
Formerly a money-losing wireless equipment maker, Wi-Lan switched gears in 2006 to build a storehouse of patents through acquisition.
The company has licensed intellectual property to more than 100 companies and has more than 300 issued or pending patents in a range of electronics and communications products, it said.
Wi-Lan has been accused of being a patent troll, a pejorative term that refers to a company that doesnt make anything, but holds patents and exists solely to sue others in the industry.
(1=1.02 Canadian)
(Reporting by Susan Taylor and Leah Schnurr; Editing by Peter Galloway)
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar