NTP to get patent cash from "pretty much" entire cell phone industry

NTP Inc., a patent-holding company that won a $612.5 million settlement from RIM in 2006, has struck again with a settlement involving 13 of the biggest companies in the tech industry.

NTP, noting that it holds eight US patents "relating to the delivery of electronic mail over wireless systems," said it reached a settlement with 13 companies representing just about everyone involved in building and selling smartphones or delivering e-mail to them. The 13 companies are AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, Apple, HTC, Motorola Mobility, Palm, LG, Samsung, Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo. "The signed agreement provides broad coverage under NTP’s patent portfolio to all of the companies," NTP said. Consequently, "all pending litigation between NTP and these companies will be dismissed." With the exception of Nokia and RIM, who were already paying NTP, the settlement covered "pretty much the entire industry," said intellectual property attorney Ron Epstein, who was settlement counsel for NTP and used to run Intel's licensing group. But when asked if that means NTP is done filing lawsuits, Epstein told us there are a couple more companies in NTP's sights.