I've read that NTP only has one or two actual employees and the rest are lawyers. Patent suing is how they make their money.
This is especially annoying since NTP already agreed to a $450 million settlement a while back but renegged on it, looking for more cash. That's the thing that really burns me. But despite this agreement (which is overly fair and NTP should be forced to uphold IMO - and even then, RIM is still getting jobbed), the US courts seem determined to force RIM into financial ruin. This is strictly conspiracy theory stuff, but we all know that since 9-11, there's been an anti-foreign backlash here in the US. Since NTP is US based and RIM is Canadian, well, do the math
As I said, no proof, but suspicious because I can see little legal reason for these judicial decisions.
Of course, not wanting the wrath of the US government to come down on them (Blackberry is hugely popular in government circles. Even Bush's boys use them
), NTP has "graciously" said that any shutdown would not apply to government contracts. That's very big of you NTP * ahem * but, uh, nice try. If Blackberry is forced to shut down service, do it everywhere including government service. Let's see how long NTP's stance lasts with the weight of the US government on their arses.