The lawyers have been let loose. What was a niche market is now spawning the litigation of a major industry as Research In Motion finds itself fighting for its life in the courtrooms, and other companies rush in to grab its--understandably--nervous customer base. If the analyst reports and market projections didn't convince you that wireless e-mail had hit the big time, then the attorneys' fees certainly should--no one pumps this kind of legal muscle unless there's a lot of money to be made.

It's not just NTP that's doing the suing, though. As of today, Visto has filed patent infringement suits against Good Technology, Microsoft and Seven. At the same time, it's protected itself against its own RIM catastrophe by partnering with RIM's tormentor, NTP. NTP has taken an equity stake in Visto in exchange for Visto licensing its intellectual property. Who knows which company will be the next company to step into the courtroom--either as a plaintiff or as a defendant.

Defywire CEO Jill Stelfox had an apt analogy for the wireless e-mail space. She compared it to a gold rush, where everyone is rushing to put down stakes in a new territory. Everyone has a decent-sized claim; we just don't know which prospector will strike gold. We'll have to wait to see what will happen when the dust settles--to see whose intellectual property trumps another. But if the current legal situation is any indication, the companies doing the trumping will be rich ones indeed.

E-mail me at KFitchard@prismb2b.com.