NTP Files Patent-Infringement Suits Against 6 Cellphone Makers

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES NTP Inc., known for netting $612.5 million from BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM, RIM.T) to settle a patent-infringement lawsuit in 2006, has launched patent suits against several other major cellphone-technology companies. NTP filed suit against Apple Inc. (AAPL), Google Inc. (GOOG), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Motorola Inc. (MOT), HTC Corp. (HTCXF, 2498.TW) and LG Electronics Inc. (066570.SE), saying the companies infringe on NTP's patents related to wireless email delivery. That was the same issue in the Research In Motion settlement. "Use of NTP's intellectual property without a license is just plain unfair to NTP and its licensees," said co-founder Donald E. Stout. "The filing of suit today is necessary to ensure that those companies who are infringing NTP's patents will be required to pay a licensing fee." NTP says it was co-founded by the late Tom Campana, who it calls "the inventor of wireless email." Spokesmen for the defendants in the latest lawsuits, filed Thursday and disclosed by NTP Friday, weren't immediately available for comment. Research In Motion in 2006 signed a licensing agreement with NTP, which has filed a number of lawsuits in recent years. It has also launched patent-infringement suits against wireless providers such as AT&T Inc. (T), Deutsche Telekom AG's (DTEGY, DTE.XE) T-Mobile, Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), and Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) and Vodafone Group PLC's (VOD, VOD.LN) Verizon Wireless. Patent-infringement suits have become more frequent of late in the wireless industry as competition becomes more fierce amid the drive for innovation. -By Nathan Becker, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2855; nathan.becker@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 09, 2010 09:27 ET (13:27 GMT)