BlackBerry and Cisco Sign Broad Patent Cross-Licensing Agreement

Waterloo, Ontario and San Jose, CA – June 23, 2015 – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB) and Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced that they have entered into a long-term patent cross-licensing agreement covering their respective products and technologies.

As part of the cross-licensing agreement, BlackBerry will receive a license fee from Cisco. Specific terms of the deal are confidential.

“Our agreement with Cisco underscores the value companies place on BlackBerry’s broad and foundational patent portfolio,” said Dr. Mark Kokes, Vice President of Intellectual Property and Licensing, BlackBerry. “With the agreement in place, BlackBerry and Cisco can focus on innovation and continued technical cooperation, allowing our companies more freedom to create leading products and services for customers without the potential for patent disputes.”

“Cross-licensing is an effective way for technology companies to assure freedom of operation and help remove concerns about patent litigation,” said Dan Lang, Vice President of Intellectual Property, Cisco. “This agreement recognizes Cisco’s patent portfolio, one that is regularly rated among the strongest in the telecommunications and networking industry. We look forward to continuing to innovate to meet the needs of our respective customers.” 

BlackBerry and Cisco have a long history of technical cooperation and intend to further collaborate under this agreement.