RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- A Virginia judge declined to make an immediate ruling Friday following a court hearing that could lead to a shut down of BlackBerry e-mail service.
U.S. District Court Judge James Spencer did not set a date for his decision on the patent infringement case, quelling fears for now that BlackBerry's popular wireless e-mail will be taken off the air, and raising the possibility that NTP and Research in Motion could still reach an out-of-court settlement.
NTP contends that BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion has been improperly using its patents for several years and is seeking redress that could include a court order to stop using the disputed technology.
Past efforts to settle the matter out of court have been unsuccessful; however, attorneys for both sides now have at least some time to reconsider in the light of Friday's hearing before Judge Spencer.
NTP is based in Virginia while RIM is a Canadian company; RIM contends it isn't infringing on the U.S. patent because the main relay station for e-mail and data transmissions is located in Ontario.
Competitors, such as heavyweights Palm, Nokia and Samsung, have been lining up with offers for BlackBerry users to switch over to their wireless handhelds as a precaution.
