As expected, the US Supreme Court denied RIM's emergency request for a freeze on its patent lawsuit case with NTP. The chief justice rejected the motion without comment. However, the court's action does not necessarily point to whether it will hear the case in its next session. The denial comes just days after a federal appellate court also rejected the company's motion for a stay on the case. RIM argued that its BlackBerry mobile email service would be harmed irreparably if the court did not delay the case returning to the lower court, where RIM was found guilty of patent infringement in 2003.
RIM could face an injunction against its BlackBerry email service, forcing the company to suspend the service that brings in the majority of its revenue. The lower court will also decide whether RIM can still pay the $450 million settlement agreement the companies nearly sealed in March. RIM said it will ask the court to enforce the settlement.
For more on the Supreme Court's denial of RIM's emergency stay:
- scroll through this piece from AP