NTP Reaches Patent Settlement with Majority of Tech Industry

When it comes to technology, patent disputes are nothing new. Companies like Samsung (News - Alert) and Apple have been going after each other over patent disputes for years now. One of the most notorious firms for patents dealing with technology is NTP, which is based in Richmond, Virginia and was founded nearly 20 years ago. They won a $612.5 million patent settlement from Research In Motion back in 2006, but that is nothing compared to what the firm has done recently.

NTP is dealing with a patent settlement again, only this time with an unprecedented 13 companies. Among those that were part of the settlement included Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, AT&T, HTC (News - Alert), Motorola Mobility, Palm, LG Electronics, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Samsung and Yahoo. All litigation between NTP and the individual companies will be dropped as the agreement will allow the use of NTP’s patented technologies.

Among the patents that will be licensed to the array of tech companies are eight U.S. patents related to the delivery of e-mail over wireless systems. These are essentially patents over something every smartphone, tablet, and mobile device on the market has. These are just a few of the 25 or so patents that NTP holds.

The settlements, announced Monday, represent the first time a patent holder has made its patents available in a one-time settlement deal with the majority of a single industry according Ron Epstein, founder of Epicenter Law and settlement counsel for NTP.

"Here, you've got the entire cell phone industry, other than RIM, inking a deal at one time," he said. "Traditionally, these things are done one at a time, often involving high transaction costs, otherwise known as court action."

NTP was able to offer the licenses at "substantial discounts," yet get a reasonable compensation because so many companies were at the negotiating table, Epstein said. However, specific details on the settlement have not been released.

Want to learn more about patents in the telecom industry? Then be sure to attend Synopsis Under IP/Patents Telecom Sourcing Conference (SUITS), collocated with ITEXPO West 2012 taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX. The SUITS Conference is launched to advance the legal knowledge of innovators of telecommunications including developers, implementers, licenses, licensors, end users, carriers and enterprise patents. Learn how to be aware and prepare to protect your most valuable assets, individual and company patents and intellectual property stored in the Patent Eco System or being held for security. For more information on registering for the SUITS Conference, click here.

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