Dolby Patent Suit Adds to RIM’s Woes
Lousy news for Research in Motion on the eve of first-quarter earnings. Dolby Laboratories has filed patent-infringement lawsuits against RIM in the U.S. and Germany, claiming the company built Dolby audio compression technology into its BlackBerry smartphones and PlayBook tablet without obtaining the proper licenses.
Dolby, which claims the technology at issue here is licensed by “all other smartphone makers,” is seeking financial damages and an injunction halting sales of the allegedly infringing products.
“Litigation was regrettably our last resort after RIM declined to pay for the use of Dolby’s technology,” Dolby General Counsel Andy Sherman said in a statement. “We have a duty to protect our intellectual property.”
