DOJ Steps Into BlackBerry Dispute
Posted on February 8, 2006
BlackBerry owners are nervous about the recent patent infringement case against RIM, the developer of the popular BlackBerry device. BusinessWeek reports that DOJ has now raised concerns that government users will lose access. Many government employees have BlackBerry devices.
The government provided a list of 138 agencies that may need to be excluded from a shutdown, along with their related contractors. The list includes the Central Intelligence Agency, the Army and the National Security Agency.The DOJ's arguments won't help non-government BlackBerry users. But users shouldn't worry. The article says many analysts believe a BlackBerry blackout is not likely because that would hurt RIM financially and make it hard for NTP Inc. to collect a huge settlement.The government left the door open for an injunction that would leave the network in operation but stop sales of new BlackBerries to private users.
For its part, RIM has agreed with the Justice Department that it would be difficult to separate government from private BlackBerry users. In a filing Wednesday, it also argued that public interest in the network extends beyond government users. For example, it said, the financial services industry relies heavily on the devices.
