It's not a Typo; BlackBerry sues Seacrest funded QWERTY for the Apple iPhone
By Alan F.
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Early last month, we showed you a snap-on physical QWERTY keyboard for the Apple iPhone called Typo. Almost immediately, our sharp-eyed readers pointed out that the keyboard itself looked just like the QWERTY on the BlackBerry Q10. Well, BlackBerry must think so too as the company on Friday filed a suit against Typo, alleging that the company "blatantly copied" BlackBerry.
The product is actually the brainchild of radio and television personality Ryan Seacrest. He came up with the idea while carrying around two phones at all times. One handset, with a physical keyboard, is used for emails and messaging, while the other is an Apple iPhone. Typo has been taking $99 pre-orders for the product, and is scheduled to appear at next week's CES. The keyboard carries a lithium battery so the keys can be backlit. Typo claims that the QWERTY can improve the speed of your typing by 50% on the iPhone.
"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."-Steve Zipperstein, General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer, BlackBerry
BlackBerry might actually be able to capitalize on the situation. In a press release, BlackBerry General Counsel Steve Zipperstein said that while BlackBerry was flattered that Typo used its keyboard design, the company "will not tolerate such activity without fair compensation." That comment seems to leave the door open for a licensing or royalty deal to be worked out.
BlackBerry is suing Typo (R) for stealing the design from its QWERTY keyboards
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