NEW YORK (AP) — Research In Motion Ltd., which is facing a service shutdown in India next week over demands for access to its users' e-mails, said Thursday it is seeking to involve other technology companies in its talks with government officials.

RIM, which is based in Waterloo, Canada, said it has offered to lead an "industry forum" on the use of encrypted communications, on which law enforcement can't easily eavesdrop.

India has set a Tuesday deadline for RIM to give access to the e-mails, or the service would be shut down in the country. There are about 1 million BlackBerry users in India, and travelers would probably be affected as well.

RIM is battling similar concerns in other countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

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In its statement Thursday, RIM said the forum would work closely with the Indian government to develop recommendations aimed at preventing the "misuse of strong encryption technologies while preserving its many societal benefits in India."

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