MobileIron has agreed to drop both patent infringement and extortion claims it levelled against BlackBerry. In a four page joint filing, BlackBerry and MobileIron asked Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero to end MobileIron’s case, which it filed against BlackBerry in April.
Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero approved a stipulation submitted by MobileIron dismissing with prejudice claims MobileIron alleging that BlackBerry attempted to “extort” MobileIron into entering a patent licensing agreement. As a result, MobileIron will have to pay BlackBerry’s costs and attorney’s fees in defending against those claims.
In its complaint, MobileIron claimed that BlackBerry sent a letter demanding that MobileIron license certain patents and that BlackBerry has actually infringed on MobileIron’s own patents in four cases. MobileIron claimed that BlackBerry demands that companies license patents it knows are “statutorily surrendered” and asserts “infringement theories through unlawful notice letters that would not pass muster in any court of law.”
BlackBerry maintained throughout the suit, that its efforts to enforce its patent rights were at all times proper, and MobileIron’s claims to the contrary were both “abusive” and “meritless.”
In a statement, BlackBerry said that the dismissal of MobileIron’s claims vindicates BlackBerry’s position and the propriety of BlackBerry’s licensing practices.
“BlackBerry is a pioneer in mobile security and enterprise software and has always stood behind its technologies and licensing practices,” said Steve Rai, Chief Financial Officer, BlackBerry.
“We are gratified that these meritless claims have been definitively put to rest and will continue to vigorously defend BlackBerry’s position. We appreciate the change in direction that Ivanti, MobileIron’s new owner, has taken with respect to this suit and look forward to working with them to reconcile the remaining open items.”
