The holidays are over and so is any good will that they bring it would appear. BlackBerry today announced that it is suing Typo, the company behind the iPhone 5 Typo Keyboard. BlackBerry alleges that Typo is infringing on patents it owns and “blatantly copied” its keyboard.
“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.
The Typo Keyboard is effectively an iPhone case with an integrated Bluetooth physical keyboard. Made of two pieces that encase the iPhone, it also sports backlit keys and its own 180mAh battery.
Typo is bringing its Typo iPhone Keyboard Case to CES 2014 and is expected to begin shipments of the US$99 accessory sometime this month. It remains to be seen how the suit will affect its plans.
The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of California.
Source : BlackBerry