BlackBerry has filed lawsuits against Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, claiming all three violate its patented messaging technology.
“Defendants created mobile messaging applications that co-opt BlackBerry’s innovations, using a number of the innovative security, user interface, and functionality enhancing features,” said the company in its filings.
BlackBerry says it has spent years negotiating with all three companies without coming to terms, leaving it no choice but to take legal action. Patent litigation has become part of BlackBerry’s business strategy under CEO John Chen. The company recently filed suit against Nokia over 3G/4G patents and late last year settled litigation against Qualcomm for $940 million.
BlackBerry has some 40,000 technology patents it hopes will generate income. Facebook was the only company that responded to the lawsuit publicly.
“Blackberry’s suit sadly reflects the current state of its messaging business,” said Facebook General Counsel Paul Grewal. “Having abandoned its efforts to innovate, BlackBerry is now looking to tax the innovation of others.”
BlackBerry’s core business is selling enterprise-grade software and services. TCL now manufactures BlackBerry-branded handsets.
