RIM avoids $147.2 million payment in patent infringement suit

To say it’s been a disastrous year or two for RIM would be an understatement. The company has had quarter after quarter of miserable financial performance, and their one potential saving grace was delayed to early 2013, missing the ever-important holiday season. Earlier this year, RIM lost a patent infringement suit against Mformation, and was ordered to pay the company a $147.2 million penalty for the violation. Today, RIM has announced that a California judge has overturned the previous court’s decision after re-examining the evidence, and has ruled that RIM will not need to hand over the cash after all. Of course, Mformation can still appeal the overruling, which would result in a fresh trial in the not-too-distant future. With $147 million on the table, we expect Mformation to go this route, but at least RIM can avoid having to shell out money that would very likely result in more layoffs for the struggling handset maker.

[via Engadget, The Next Web]