Blackberry Files Patent Lawsuit against Typo keyboard

[mr moose]

Blackberry does make good phones ... For the wrong market. Their devices have always been outstanding for business users.

Also, your comment is better suited for Apple.

 

Oh, apple make good phones, they just aren't that good keeping up with changes in market trends or global economies.  

[Askew]

I thought this might be some pettyness, then I saw it and yep, that looks like a copy to me. :lol:

 

Patent trolls and the whole Apple/Samsung thing have sullied the name and ideals of a genuine patent lawsuit.

[Jasmin]

Blackberry does make good phones ... For the wrong market. Their devices have always been outstanding for business users.

Also, your comment is better suited for Apple.

I've been forced to use various blackberry handhelds for a couple of years now and I'd never choose it over design of likes HTC Desire Z - HTC had much better physical keyboard, larger screen, better weigth and shape. Blackberry's implementation of exchange is not so good either. I feel like it's still used for enterprise solutions, only because corps havn't had a choice back 10 years ago and still keep to their 20 year long contracts. OR because they are used to it and have it implemented already.. But it hasn't been a good product for a least a couple of years now.

[jezza39]

I thought this might be some pettyness, then I saw it and yep, that looks like a copy to me. :lol:

 

Patent trolls and the whole Apple/Samsung thing have sullied the name and ideals of a genuine patent lawsuit.

 

That's still petty, things that look a like shouldn't mean squat. What does blackberry think? Do they think people will go "oh shit, I thought I was buying a blackberry but instead I got this typo thing!!"? Perhaps whoever came up with the QWERTY layout should sue blackberry for using their design. The American trademark and copyright law is a joke. 

[Askew]

That's still petty, things that look a like shouldn't mean squat. What does blackberry think? Do they think people will go "oh shit, I thought I was buying a blackberry but instead I got this typo thing!!"? Perhaps whoever came up with the QWERTY layout should sue blackberry for using their design. The American trademark and copyright law is a joke. 

 

No it isn't petty, I know of several people who own Blackberrys with physical keyboards and the no1 reason they'll give for owning the particular device is that specific keyboard, the ergonomics, the symbol layout, the size of the keys ect.

 

If another company makes the exact same layout/pysical design experience available on another platform, that important selling point that Blackberry previously had to keep that customer using their phones has been made available elsewhere.

 

I have held and tested a Nokia C3 for example, which is a similar design but clearly not a carbon copy in terms of the keypad, the whole feel of typing on it is different and in my opinion inferior to the Blackberry design.

 

Nokia C3

 

Blackberry Bold

 

See how the little flushes on the keys are split, the left point left and the right point right, if you were used to that and liked it, you wouldn't buy the Noka C3, but you might have a look at this new keyboard that is the subject of this lawsuit.

 

Infringing design.

[jezza39]

-snip-

 

I do see, but I think you missed my point, you shouldn't be able to patent something so petty, look at every keyboard available for PC, they are all so similar in terms of layout. 

 

Anyway, blackberry's keys slant upwards like a parabola while the Typo's are straight. The only similar thing is the layout. Typo doesn't have a two tone colour like blackberry.

 

"…each of the depressible keys has a top engagement surface of which an upper inboard portion is raised relative to a lower outboard portion thereof, wherein the top engagement surface of at least some of the depressible keys has a generally inclined crest shape…", So every keyboard that's curved upwards... The problem is how general the USPO allows patents. That's crap.

[Askew]

I do see, but I think you missed my point, you shouldn't be able to patent something so petty, look at every keyboard available for PC, they are all so similar in terms of layout. 

 

Anyway, blackberry's keys slant upwards like a parabola while the Typo's are straight. The only similar thing is the layout. Typo doesn't have a two tone colour like blackberry.

 

"…each of the depressible keys has a top engagement surface of which an upper inboard portion is raised relative to a lower outboard portion thereof, wherein the top engagement surface of at least some of the depressible keys has a generally inclined crest shape…", So every keyboard that's curved upwards... The problem is how general the USPO allows patents. That's crap.

 

I agree that the patent system allows things that are way too broad to be patented, I was just arguing that in this situation the patent does exist and with that taken into account this claim appears valid to me.

 

Until the patent system is changed, this will continue, IMO it gets in the way of innovation when companies throw so much money at fighting over these type issues.

[jezza39]

I agree that the patent system allows things that are way too broad to be patented, I was just arguing that in this situation the patent does exist and with that taken into account this claim appears valid to me.

 

Until the patent system is changed, this will continue, IMO it gets in the way of innovation when companies throw so much money at fighting over these type issues.

 

Well yeah I agree, but I'm incredibly disappointed that US judges appear to have forgotten one of the most basic laws of Equity, that is you must be able to point specifically to what you want to protect (see Ocular Sciences v Aspect Vision if you care enough to see the UK system). US law is so frustrating, it's so anti-competitive. 

 

Apple won every decision in the US, and practically nowhere else in the world. The systems broke!

[nicehat]

I do see, but I think you missed my point, you shouldn't be able to patent something so petty, look at every keyboard available for PC, they are all so similar in terms of layout. 

 

Anyway, blackberry's keys slant upwards like a parabola while the Typo's are straight. The only similar thing is the layout. Typo doesn't have a two tone colour like blackberry.

 

"…each of the depressible keys has a top engagement surface of which an upper inboard portion is raised relative to a lower outboard portion thereof, wherein the top engagement surface of at least some of the depressible keys has a generally inclined crest shape…", So every keyboard that's curved upwards... The problem is how general the USPO allows patents. That's crap.

 

I disagree. The key design, frets, and color scheme are the same. The BlackBerry 10 models are all black keys with white/translucent fonts. As for the keys, the Typo has made exact ergonomic contour copies of the BB Q10 key design. Take a look at the close ups of the keys for yourself. 

 

 

[jezza39]

 

-snip-

 

 

Patent claim 1 says "crest shape", or something along those lines. 

 

 

 

General layout and key sizing/looks the same. So what if products look similar? Blackberry probably took cues from other designs and incorporated it into their own

[Askew]

Patent claim 1 says "crest shape", or something along those lines. 

 

General layout and key sizing/looks the same. So what if products look similar? Blackberry probably took cues from other designs and incorporated it into their own

 

The 'crest shape' was the part of it that me and @nicehat were pointing out, the layout and size of the keys are much less relevant, I did describe them as 'llittle flushes' however which was a bad way of describing them.

[nicehat]

Patent claim 1 says "crest shape", or something along those lines. 

 

 

 

General layout and key sizing/looks the same. So what if products look similar? Blackberry probably took cues from other designs and incorporated it into their own

 

I interpret crest shape as specifically the contour of the keys themselves. I might be wrong though. In any case, look at how Nokia's implementation compares to the Typo's compared to the Q10. The fact that it is a keyboard layout does not count as taking a cue. This isnt about any old phone keyboard, its a BlackBerry keyboard copy. It doesnt matter if they did take cues from other places. They spent alot of money and man hours into making arguably the best handheld keyboard in the market.

 

Take for example Cherry key switches. That patent was protected even though Cherry took cues from IBM's keyboards in the 80's and 90's. Until they recently expired, the Cherry patents were the most sought after mechanical keyboard switch in the industry. BlackBerry's design and research into sculpting the keys, the feedback, the egonomics, the size all costed a fortune, and has become BlackBerry's identity. Its a legitimate claim because you can see how people may think that BlackBerry may have endorsed the Typo or licensed it out. This misunderstanding hurts the brand especially if the Typo performs alot worse & in lost sales in general. 

[jezza39]

The 'crest shape' was the part of it that me and @nicehat were pointing out, the layout and size of the keys are much less relevant, I did describe them as 'llittle flushes' however which was a bad way of describing them.

 

Yeah, I might also be reading the actual patent wrong. I guess my main point is the complete failure of the patent system in the US, there is no way anyone should ahve been granted anything like this. It's far too broad and so far out of line with logic

[nicehat]

Yeah, I might also be reading the actual patent wrong. I guess my main point is the complete failure of the patent system in the US, there is no way anyone should ahve been granted anything like this. It's far too broad and so far out of line with logic

 

I agree that patent infringements get out of hand. But we as a capitalistic society need to draw a line somewhere between legitimate infringement claims and those of trolls. 

 

 

 

And we cant forget that good ol PCP