BlackBerry Sues Ryan Seacrest's Startup Over 'Typo' iPhone Keyboard

[Dustman]

I did a search for smart phones that come with physical keyboards. NONE of the following have the distinctive tapered keys found on the BlackBerry: Nokia, Samsung, HTC, LG, or Sony.

BUT, there is one company that does use these unique, thumb-friendly keys: MOTOROLA.

I don't know if BB's or Motorola's came first but, if BlackBerry is going to sue Typo, it seems like there might be grounds for a suit between BlackBerry and Motorola as well.

RIM licensed out the iconic keyboard to a couple OEMs, so I would be surprised if Motorola was one of these companies.

Blackberry has every right to sue for not being compensated by the Typo.

HTC on the other hand should sue for RIM copying their "Cha Cha" with the Q5.

 

[tmarks11]

I'm always surprised that design language is so poorly protected by law. I mean this is copying both design and feel.

Blackberry has on at least 2 occasions in the past sued and won infringements on their patented shape of their keys.

That is why this start-up's copying of their keyboard is so idiotic. Yes, BBY is on the ropes, but they are not dead yet. They may have fired all their engineers, programmers, and marketing guys. But they still have their legal department...

 

[Windlasher]

Are you saying that you disagree that it's a copy? I can bring in a computer comparator on this if you want.

I'm saying who gives a crap. BB is doing this for money. If that patent was sooooooo valuable, how come no one bought it last year when they were trying to sell it.

 

[Lionel Messi]

What does this have to do with Blackberry suing this other company?

The fact that Samsung replicated Apple's MacBook Air and nothing was done about it. The Typo has some differences including the positions of "!" and "?" and addition of buttons.

Blackberry are going down soon. Already lost billions of dollars and want to lose more.

 

[N64]

I'm saying who gives a crap. BB is doing this for money. If that patent was sooooooo valuable, how come no one bought it last year when they were trying to sell it.

I don't know why nobody bought it, but that doesn't mean this other company has the right to steal it.

 

[AnonMac50]

Millions of former BB users ditched their beloved keyboard for the iPhone's without ever looking back or missing anything that you can't get used to in the iphone or any other smartphone including the Z10. The only justifiable usage here would be for the incapacitated or the blind to be able to distinguish the keystrokes the old fashion way. Other than that there will always be people who are reluctant to adapt to new designs, but those are the minority and shrinking by each non blackberry phone sold. It's just the way it is and no lawsuit will fix that ever. RIM seems to not get around this fact.

It's not about reluctancy of accepting new designs. True, there are many who ditched BB for iPhone, many of which don't care about the keyboard. There are those who do, and those who still use BB for the keyboard. It is about comfort, not about design. The same way I'd much rather have a BB style keyboard on my iPhone.

I'm not saying what they did is good or bad. Frankly, I don't really care. I was just saying that there are many people who would prefer a physical keyboard on their phone.

 

[fredaroony]

The fact that Samsung replicated Apple's MacBook Air and nothing was done about it. The Typo has some differences including the positions of "!" and "?" and addition of buttons.

Blackberry are going down soon. Already lost billions of dollars and want to lose more.

Ahh I see now...it has nothing to do with it, just as I thought.

----------

If Typo can't innovate its way out of nonexistence, steal from someone! Seriously, I wish down votes were back.

I hate Blackberries and have recently been annoyed by the company itself and its CEO, but come ON. This is a copy worthy of China status.

Nice racist comment there.

 

[Lionel Messi]

Ahh I see now...it has nothing to do with it, just as I thought.

Am I supposed to give you a cookie?

 

[fredaroony]

Ahh I see now...it has nothing to do with it, just as I thought.

Am I supposed to give you a cookie?

Sure why not I like cookies. This thread still has nothing to do with Samsung so it's pointless bringing them into this discussion.

 

[roadbloc]

I'm saying who gives a crap. BB is doing this for money. If that patent was sooooooo valuable, how come no one bought it last year when they were trying to sell it.

Because they refused to split the company up. But it ended up going ahead anyway. So somebody did buy it in the end.