Motorola and RIM cease all legal action

Research in Motion and Motorola have announced a worldwide end to litigation over licensing disputes.

The companies have entered into a cross-licensing agreement to share intellectual property on a range of patents covering 2G, 3G, 4G, 802.11 and wireless email.

Full details of the agreement remain confidential, but it has been confirmed that RIM will pay an upfront fee and further ongoing royalties to Motorola as part of the deal.

Neither company would offer any further comment when contacted.

The move marks a significant turnaround after the US International Trade Commission (ITC) announced in February that it had plans to investigate the complaint filed by Motorola against RIM.

The decision also marks the end to one of a number of disputes in the mobile world between several major players.

Nokia is currently suing Apple over technology used in the iPhone, while Apple is suing HTC claiming infringement of 20 patents relating to the iPhone's user interface, hardware and architecture.

RIM is also locked in legal battle with Kodak, after the camera manufacturer accused the BlackBerry maker of using patented technology in its handsets. The ITC is currently investigating Kodak's claim.