Andre Yoskowitz
3 Jan 2014 14:11
BlackBerry has unsurprisingly sued Ryan Seacrest's Typo Products startup for patent infringement over its new Typo iPhone keyboard case.
"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," Steve Zipperstein, BlackBerry's general counsel and chief legal officer, said in a statement.
The multi-millionaire media personality founded the startup after not wanting to give up both his BlackBerry and iPhone, one of which was used for typing extensively and the other used for everything else.
Typo was set to officially unveil the accessory at next week's CES event for $99, with the product shipping before the end of the month.
Zipperstein of BlackBerry added: "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."