By Wailin Wong
| The U.S. International Trade Commission will investigate a claim by Motorola Inc. that Research in Motion, the maker of the BlackBerry, infringed on five of the Schaumburg-based company’s patents.

In late January, Motorola filed a complaint against RIM with the agency, alleging that the Canadian phone maker is importing and selling products that infringe on patents for technology such as Wi-Fi access, user interface and power management.  The inquiry at the ITC opens a new front in a two-year legal dispute between the two companies.

Motorola and RIM sued each other for patent infringement in 2008 after
failing to reach a new agreement on cross-licensing technology.

The lawsuits are pending in federal court in Dallas. The ITC announced its inquiry in a notice on its Web site.