Typo settles lawsuit with BlackBerry, to halt all sales of iPhone keyboards
Typo Products on Monday settled a 2014 lawsuit brought against it by smartphone maker BlackBerry, and as part of terms of the agreement, will have to permanently halt sales of its physical iPhone keyboard accessories.
The settlement specifically bans Typo from making keyboards for devices with screens under 7.9 inches, The Wall Street Journal reported. That will allow it to continue making keyboards for the iPad Air and iPad mini. Other terms of the settlement haven't been made public.
Though Typo will continue to operate, iPhone keyboard cases were its signature product. The accessories gave users a permanent physical keyboard, making typing more comfortable for some, while simultaneously returning more usable screen space.
BlackBerry, though, alleged that Typo infringed on the design and patents of its signature keyboards. Until touch interfaces like the iPhone's became dominant, the compact BlackBerry keyboard layout helped to make the company the world's leading smartphone maker.
Typo initially gained attention for being co-founded by Ryan Seacrest, best known for hosting American Idol. The company only ever produced two iPhone cases: one for the iPhone 5 and 5s, and another for the iPhone 6. Preorders of the latter sold out rapidly when they were launched last December.
The settlement specifically bans Typo from making keyboards for devices with screens under 7.9 inches, The Wall Street Journal reported. That will allow it to continue making keyboards for the iPad Air and iPad mini. Other terms of the settlement haven't been made public.
Though Typo will continue to operate, iPhone keyboard cases were its signature product. The accessories gave users a permanent physical keyboard, making typing more comfortable for some, while simultaneously returning more usable screen space.
BlackBerry, though, alleged that Typo infringed on the design and patents of its signature keyboards. Until touch interfaces like the iPhone's became dominant, the compact BlackBerry keyboard layout helped to make the company the world's leading smartphone maker.
Typo initially gained attention for being co-founded by Ryan Seacrest, best known for hosting American Idol. The company only ever produced two iPhone cases: one for the iPhone 5 and 5s, and another for the iPhone 6. Preorders of the latter sold out rapidly when they were launched last December.
Comments
Really though, the patent is that specific that BB keyboard is only good for phone of screen sizes smaller than 7.5"
Seacrest Out!
There's inventory in a warehouse sitting 'idle'.
" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />
Seacrest Out!
He filed bankruptcy. LOL
BTW, who are idiots actually buying this POS keyboard, seriously? There's Siri or Dictation for it. What's the f wrong with iPhone owners?
I always half wondered if the product was a joke anyway ... the company name seems to be part of the joke. To add the very thing that made the BB a dead end, to an iPhone I thought was hilarious. Kind of like putting running boards on a car or hitching post outside the town's bar.
Addiction's a B!tch. Once you can type at 40-60 words a minute on your crackberry, you can't give it up. (I know when I sit in front of a OpenVMS command line prompt, my fingers type commands and CLI shortcuts my brain has forgotten long ago. I can't remember how to edit in TECO, but my fingers can just do it)
And... I typically add running boards to my big-*ssed Hockey-Dad-Mobile, and depending on where you live, a hitching post is still required in front of the bar [or liquor store... because it's harder to get a DUI when the horse is driving '-)
I don't get the whole keyboard thing. That hasn't saved BlackBerry. This settlement won't do anything for Blackberry. I can swipe out a message pretty quick. I thought that keyboard was dumb anyway. It covers up the Home button which also means no TouchID. Nothing is worth that!!!
If people really wanted a Keyboard, Blackberry would be doing great, not continuing to lose businesses every quarter. Most people don't care about a real keyboard anymore on a SmartPhone.
They did copy Blackberry's Keyboard, and least their Original version. If they just didn't to that to start. It's not like Keyboards are a BlackBerry only thing. there's also been Slideout keyboards. If anything that's the way I would have moved to. Create a case with a Slideout Keyboard to use for those time it could come in handy.
I'm not a big fan of using a physical keyboard with a phone, but if I needed a keyboard for an iPhone I thought this was a good design and implementation.