BlackBerry Files Suit Against Ryan Seacrest’s Typo iPhone Keyboard
by Brent Dirks
January 3, 2014
BlackBerry may be going down fast, but it still has enough muscle to file lawsuits. The smartphone maker announced today that it is suing the Ryan Seacrest backed Typo iPhone Keyboard.
According to a press release from the company, a suit has been filed in the Northern District of California:
“This is a blatant infringement against BlackBerry’s iconic keyboard, and we will vigorously protect our intellectual property against any company that attempts to copy our unique design. From the beginning, BlackBerry has always focused on offering an exceptional typing experience that combines a great design with ergonomic excellence. We are flattered by the desire to graft our keyboard onto other smartphones, but we will not tolerate such activity without fair compensation for using our intellectual property and our technological innovations,” said Steve Zipperstein, BlackBerry's General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer.We took a closer look at the keyboard case back in December. The Bluetooth-enabled device, which costs $99 and is slated to launch this month, grafts a full keyboard onto the bottom of an iPhone 5s or iPhone 5. The company promises that users will type 50 percent faster and obviously have less typos. The case covers the iPhone’s home button, but the keyboard has a dedicated key to replace the functionality. Even so, iPhone 5s users will have to give up using the Touch ID sensor. For other news today, see: The 'iPad Pro' Is Likely To Be A Hybrid Device And Launch This Fall, AT&T Is Offering T-Mobile Customers Up To $450 Per Line To Switch, and The App Store Begins Prepping For The 2014 Winter Olympic Games In Sochi, Russia.
