New York: BlackBerry has on Tuesday filed a patent infringement lawsuit against social media giant Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. The Canada-based company argued in its suit that Facebook and it’s apps copied technology and features from BlackBerry Messenger.
“Defendants created mobile messaging applications that co-opt BlackBerry’s innovations, using a number of the innovative security, user interface, and functionality enhancing features,” BlackBerry said in a filing with a Los Angeles federal court.
“Protecting shareholder assets and intellectual property is the job of every CEO,” BlackBerry spokeswoman Sarah McKinney said in an email as per Reuters. However, she noted that litigation was “not central to BlackBerry’s strategy.”
Paul Grewal, Facebook Deputy General Counsel said that the company intended to fight the lawsuit. “Blackberry’s suit sadly reflects the current state of its messaging business,” Grewal said. “Having abandoned its efforts to innovate, Blackberry is now looking to tax the innovation of others.”
BlackBerry had in February 2017, sued Nokia Corp, claiming infringement of patents relating to 3G and 4G wireless communications technology. In 2017 itself, Qualcomm agreed to pay BlackBerry $940 million to resolve arbitration over royalty payments.