A U.S. judge's ruling in the ongoing Mformation Technologies Inc. vs. Research in Motion Ltd. patent litigation grants a much-needed reprieve to BlackBerry maker RIM. According to court papers, Judge James Ware ruled that Mformation had failed to establish that RIM had infringed on its patent. Ware consequently overturned the jury verdict that awarded $147.2 million to the plaintiff.

As reported earlier, RIM spokeswoman Crystal Roberts had previously stated that the company had pending legal motions that could overturn the jury's verdict. The U.S. judge's ruling validates Roberts' assertions.

"We appreciate the judge's careful consideration of this case. RIM did not infringe on Mformation's patent and we are pleased with this victory," Steve Zipperstein, RIM's Chief Legal Officer, said in a statement.

Canada-based RIM has locked horns with Mformation in legal battles since 2008, when Mformation sued the company for infringing its patent for a process that remotely manages a wireless device over a wireless network. In July this year, a northern California jury directed RIM to pay an $8 royalty for every BlackBerry device connected to RIM's enterprise server software, which brought the total award to $147.2 million. The verdict only covered U.S. sales and did not include future or foreign damages.

The favorable judgement is welcomed by RIM, which has been dogged by lawsuits while battling steadily declining fortunes. In the past year, RIM's stock fell by 70 percent. The decline is attributed to the gamut of smartphones inundating the market. RIM's Blackberry lost out to rivals like iPhone and a bevy of Android-powered challengers.

Mformation may appeal, which would mean a new trial, rather than the reinstatement of the jury verdict.