In “the latest installment in a contentious litigation”, defendant Research In Motion recently obtained an order granting its motion to dismiss plaintiff Eatoni's claims that RIM violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act and equivalent portions of New York’s Donnelly Act. Eatoni Ergonomics, Inc. v. Research In Motion Corp., No. 08-Civ. 10079 (WHP) (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 5, 2011), Memorandum and Order, p. 1 (Pauley, J.).

The course of this litigation began with RIM filing an action in 2005 for a declaratory judgment that it had not infringed Eatoni’s ‘317 patent for a “reduced QWERTY” keyboard and supporting software. That case settled with Eatoni granting a license to the ‘317 patent to RIM and a release of all claims of infringement. Further disputes resulted in an arbitration that led to RIM agreeing to collaborate with plaintiff on the development of a mutually agreed upon product. RIM’s management rejected the resulting joint design. Eatoni then filed this suit in 2008.