According to a new report published by Reuters, BlackBerry has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Facebook (WhatsApp and Instagram) through the Los Angeles courts for infringing on its patents for messaging apps.
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.
Facebook and its companies developed "competing applications that improperly used BlackBerry's mobile messaging intellectual property". "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," says Blackberry representative spokeswoman Sarah McKinney
Over the years, I've wondered if BlackBerry would take action against some of the competing apps out there. I guess 'after several years of dialogue' they've finally decided to put some action in motion.
