Ryan Seacrest-backed Typo Products LLC was all set to unveil a keyboard case for iPhone, which allows iPhone users to type on BlackBerry look-alike QWERTY keyboard instead of the virtual keyboard of iPhone, at the 2014 International CES. However, the unveil may not take place and the product may not even get to see the light of the day because BlackBerry is not happy. In fact, BlackBerry is very upset that Typo has stolen its patented design.
"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," said BlackBerry General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer Steve Zipperstein.
In December, Typo said its $99 keyboard case will be available on a pre-order basis, starting January 2014. The "Typo Keyboard" is designed to accommodate the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5s. It is a two-piece case which slides and snaps onto the iPhone and uses Bluetooth to communicate with the smartphone. The case covers the iPhone's home button but has a key that replaces the function of the Home Button.
Seacrest, who is a majority stockholder of Typo, has not responded to Blackberry's lawsuit, which has been filed in the Northern District of California.
Blackberry's signature keyboard helped the company rocket to fame by becoming a "market differentiator for its mobile devices." Though the company is now struggling to keep up with Apple and Samsung, which has outpaced BlackBerry in terms of smartphone sales for several years, the company has fired a warning shot that suggests it should not be taken lightly, especially by a startup.
"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," Zipperstein said.
Shares of the company, which wants to turn its focus on enterprise and software and has teamed up with Foxconn to make smartphones for emerging markets, closed down 0.52 percent at $7.61 on Friday on the Nasdaq.
