Research in Motion (RIM), the maker of BlackBerry devices, was the loser in its patent licensing dispute with Finnish cellphone maker Nokia Oyj when a Swedish arbitrator issued a ruling that RIM may not make or sell mobile devices that can connect to WiFi networks. Now RIM must come to a new licensing arrangement with Nokia or risk having its BlackBerry products banned, because the U.S. and other countries will enforce the arbitrator's decision. GPC's Alexander Poltorak predicts what is likely to happen next between Nokia and RIM in this licensing dispute. ("BlackBerry maker RIM loses patent dispute with Nokia" Reuters.com - November 28, 2012)
Article excerpt: "The arbitration decision is not appealable and the U.S. Court can be expected to enforce the judgment by issuing an injunction against RIM, which would effectively put RIM out of business," said Alexander Poltorak, chief executive of patent consultancy General Patent Corp.
"RIM has only one choice now - to license Nokia's patents," Poltorak said. "It should be a quick process. No substantive issue will be re-litigated. The U.S. court merely needs to enforce the verdict of the Swedish arbitration tribunal."