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Transcript of this morning's CNN American Morning - Blackberry Shutdown



And BlackBerry users beware. How will millions of Americans cope without their handheld devices?

ANNOUNCER: You're watching AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Actually, your BlackBerry has been kind of broken. So you've had a little test.

S. O'BRIEN: No, I got a new one yesterday.

M. O'BRIEN: You did?

S. O'BRIEN: My BlackBerry -- you know, there's a new BlackBerry, and it's sort of a gray berry.

M. O'BRIEN: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Is it better than mine?

S. O'BRIEN: Not only is it better than yours, it's cuter than yours actually. A better keyboard and a nice sort of bluish-gray.

M. O'BRIEN: I might have to drop this one somewhere.

S. O'BRIEN: But if this court case that we've been talking about goes forward, and if, in fact, RIM, which is the Canadian company that makes BlackBerry, loses, these things, you know, could be a big problem for those of us who love our BlackBerrys.

M. O'BRIEN: At the 11th hour they will write the check. It will be a big check. I put it at a billion, but...

S. O'BRIEN: This is your prediction on the case?

M. O'BRIEN: Don't you think that's what this is all about?

S. O'BRIEN: I cannot see a future without my BlackBerry. Sad but true.

(BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Well, if you're like me and you cannot live without your BlackBerry, here is some news you did not want to hear. The Supreme Court is refusing to get involved in that patent case against the company that makes BlackBerrys. It's called Research In Motion. That means the wireless e-mail service is one step closer to being shut down.

AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken looks at that agonizing prospect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the task force commander absolutely, positively had to have his BlackBerry.

During a security scare, members of Congress and their staff members got their evacuate-the-Capitol orders on their BlackBerrys.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Capitol Hill police are conducting a search of the building for an individual.

FRANKEN: The members of Congress don't go anywhere without their BlackBerrys. Those on the White House staff definitely don't, nor do millions of others. We don't know if the Supreme Court justices carry them. The court wouldn't tell us.

But by turning thumbs down on hearing an appeal of a patent infringement case, they have cleared the way for a lower court order that could shut down the devices for most of us in a little over a week. And by the way, for many, that news probably came first on -- you guessed it -- their BlackBerrys, as usual.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I found out I was an uncle on my BlackBerry.

FRANKEN: They're called "crackberrys" for good reason. Since 1998 when they were introduced by the Canadian company Research In Motion, they've become addictive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, it's a constant communication tool.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I have to admit use in the bathroom.

FRANKEN (on camera): The problem is a small Virginia company won the patent infringement case against Research In Motion, which could effectively shut the system down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have no idea what I'm going to do without it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My personal theory is that corporate America will never let this happen.

FRANKEN (voice over): Research In Motion can still negotiate a financial agreement before the judge acts. And he really does have the company, and a lot of us, under his thumb.

Bob Franken, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: All right, nice job, Bob.

Now, even if the George orders -- the judge. The George?

S. O'BRIEN: The judge.

M. O'BRIEN: The judge orders a partial shutdown...

S. O'BRIEN: It might be George, but he's a judge.

M. O'BRIEN: I'm all but (INAUDIBLE) over this. Please don't take my BlackBerry. Analysts say he is likely to give users time to switch to something else. But I have tried them all.

S. O'BRIEN: Me too.

M. O'BRIEN: I had the Trio. Nothing compares to the BlackBerry for its reliability and its speed. So I think the guy in the piece who said corporate America won't let this happen. That's what's going to happen.

Interesting, though, that the government officials, politicians, military, they are exempt. No matter what happens, they will get their BlackBerrys. Interesting how that works, isn't it?

We're going to take a little closer look. Daniel Sieberg will be in a little bit later and will talk about what options there might be out there.

S. O'BRIEN: All of which apparently you hate. But you're taking this all very...

M. O'BRIEN: I've tried them all. I would love the Trio to work. It just crashes all the time on me.

[dasupaman23]

S. O'BRIEN: My BlackBerry -- you know, there's a new BlackBerry, and it's sort of a gray berry.

M. O'BRIEN: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Is it better than mine?

S. O'BRIEN: Not only is it better than yours, it's cuter than yours actually. A better keyboard and a nice sort of bluish-gray.

LOL a gray berry?

[vyperz]

hmm.. interesting.

[melissaox]

very interesting...

[danclang]

Too bad they arent the decision makers 4 this case ~~~Posted via Blackberry @ wap.pinstack.com~~~