Biz Brief: Motorola and RIM Settle Patent Dispute

Motorola (MOT) and Research In Motion (RIMM) announced Friday they have settled a dispute that Motorola brought to the International Trade Commission earlier this year.

BlackBerry-maker RIM and handset-manufacturer Motorola, rivals in the smart-phone arena, said they have entered into a Settlement and License Agreement, which ends all outstanding worldwide litigation between them.

The agreement includes a long-term, intellectual property cross-licensing arrangement, with the companies receiving cross-licenses of various patent rights relating to certain industry standards and technologies, such as 3G, 4G and wireless email. In addition, the parties will transfer certain patents to each other.

Under the agreement, Waterloo, Canada-based RIM will give an up-front payment and ongoing royalties to Schaumburg, Ill.-based Motorola. The exact terms and other conditions remain confidential, the companies said. Motorola shares advanced nearly 1% in premarket trading Friday.