Samsung: ‘we are not interested in buying RIM’

Rumor spread like wildfire today that the beleaguered RIM is looking for a buyer, and that Samsung was chief among the possible suitors. Samsung responded quickly and definitively, telling Reuters that “we haven’t considered acquiring the firm and are not interested in (buying RIM).” BGR originally reported this morning that in addition to discussing licensing its software, RIM is in favor of selling parts or all of the company, and that Samsung was its buyer of choice. Whether that’s true or not we don’t yet know, but what’s now loud and clear is that Samsung isn’t interested in what’s coming out of Waterloo. Samsung spokesman James Chung also said that the company hadn’t even been approached by RIM to discuss such a takeover.

These rumors aren’t the first of their kind for either company. In September, Samsung denied rumors that it was interested in buying HP’s webOS in similarly categorical fashion, and RIM’s list of rumored buyers has already grown to include Microsoft, Nokia, and Amazon. Whether not any of the above are interesting in licensing BlackBerry 10 from RIM remains to be seen. What is clear is that while the entire company might be ripe for the taking, nobody is jumping at the opportunity.