Canadian telecommunications firm BlackBerry has reportedly filed a patent infringement lawsuit against social media firm Facebook, arguing that they copied technology and features from BlackBerry Messenger.
BlackBerry is claiming infringement on patents it holds for message encryption and notifications, and is seeking an injunction as well as damages for lost profits, although no figure was given.
Facebook and its wholly-owned services Instagram and WhatsApp are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
“Defendants created mobile messaging applications that co-opt BlackBerry’s innovations, using a number of the innovative security, user interface, and functionality enhancing features,” Canada-based tech firm said in a filing with a Los Angeles federal court.
“We have a lot of respect for Facebook and the value they’ve placed on messaging capabilities, some of which were invented by BlackBerry,” said spokeswoman Sarah McKinney in a statement.
She said the company would like to partner with Facebook “in our drive toward a securely connected future, and we continue to hold this door open to them.”
“However, we have a strong claim that Facebook has infringed on our intellectual property, and after several years of dialogue, we also have an obligation to our shareholders to pursue appropriate legal remedies,” McKinney added.
BlackBerry, after abandoning the manufacture of its once-popular smartphones, has refocused its core business on cybersecurity software and services.
