Research In Motion has agreed to pay $612.5 million to NTP to end the litigation settlement that threatened to shutter RIM's blackberry service in the U.S.

The Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM put out a statement Friday saying it have signed a definitive licensing and settlement agreement with NTP.

It said all terms of their agreement were finalized and the litigation against RIM has been dismissed by a court order this afternoon.

The deal means that that RIM's popular BlackBerry network will not be shuttered, which had been a possibility pending a judge's ruling in the matter.

More to follow at internetnews.com