Toronto stocks closed slightly higher on Monday as as Research In Motion shares rose following developments in its patent dispute.

The S&P/TSX composite index rose 17.70 points, or 0.16%, to 11,154.28.

Seven of the 10 main TSX groups ended higher, led by 1.4% advance in the information technology group, while the telecoms group rose 1%.

RIM shares were supported by recent U.S. patent office and court decisions that are expected to strengthen the BlackBerry maker’s position in its legal battle with NTP Inc. over its patents.

Shares of RIM rose $2.15, or 3%, to $73.90.

Talisman Energy helped the heavyweight energy group scrape out a wafer-thin gain after the company said it would increase its exploration and development spending by 36% in 2006.

Shares of Talisman rose 70$, or 1%, to $59.70, while Petro-Canada shares rose 33$, or 0.71%, to $46.64.

The junior S&P/TSX Venture composite index slipped 1.23 points to 2,142.72.

On Wall Street, U.S. stocks fell on weakness in semiconductor shares after a brokerage cut ratings on six major stocks in the sector.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 39.06 points, or 0.36%, at 10,836.53. The S&P 500 was down 7.40 points, or 0.58%, at 1,259.92. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index was down 29.74 points, or 1.32%, at 2,222.74.

Stocks also fell as an index of U.S. home builder sentiment declined in December to its lowest since April 2003, hurting home construction shares. The National Association of Home Builders said the index for current sales of new homes fell to 63 in December from 67 in November.

One of Monday’s gainers was drug maker Pfizer Inc., which had its biggest one-day gain in more than 7 1/2 years after a federal judge on Friday upheld the validity of the drug maker’s Lipitor patents, blocking a generic version of the medicine that had threatened the company’s largest source of revenue.

Pfizer rose 7.7% to US$24.32.