NTP suing carriers over wireless email patents

NTP is suing AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel over patent infringement claims similar to those it brought against BlackBerry maker Research In Motion. NTP wants royalties based on the sales of phones and PDAs for these carriers. RIM ended up settling with NTP in March last year for $612.5 million [1], amid fears of a nationwide BlackBerry service suspension. The case against the carriers was filed last month in the same court as the NTP-RIM case. The USPTO is reviewing NTP's patents still, but it has already rejected them. NTP appealed the rulings and they will remain valid unless the appeals process fails. NTP brought a suit against Palm [2] late last year as well, but that case was put on hold [3] until the USPTO issues its final rulings.

For more on the case:
- read this blurb [4] from the Washington Post