In April 2001 RIM was granted U.S. Patent # 6,219,694, entitled System and method for pushing information from a host system to a
mobile data communication device having a shared electronic
address. The complete text of the patent is available in PDF format
on the FPF
website at:
http://www.freeprotocols.org/usPatents/06219694.pdf.
The patent describes a method of directing e-mail to wireless devices, while maintaining mailbox synchronization with a desktop e-mail system. The described method is a basic element of the functioning of various existing mobile e-mail systems, including the BlackBerry system.
RIM was quick to take advantage of this patent. Less than a month after the patent was granted, RIM announced a lawsuit against Glenayre Electronics, Inc. for infringement against the patent. To view an article describing this patent assertion, visit http://www.totaltele.com/view.asp?ArticleID=40057&pub=tt&categoryid=625. The same article is also available on the FPF website at http://www.freeprotocols.org/rimBBPatentProblem/extNews2.html.
In order to understand the eventual disposition of RIM's lawsuit, it
is important to know that when it comes to patents Glenayre is no
angel either; and in particular, had previously filed its own patent
infringment suit against RIM. An article describing the
Glenayre patent assertion is available at
http://www.garywill.com/waterloo/ctt9908.htm;
the same article is also available on the FPF website at
http://www.freeprotocols.org/rimBBPatentProblem/extNews1.html.
Thus with the initation of RIM's lawsuit against Glenayre, both companies now had patent lawsuits pending against each other.