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Facebook Accuses BlackBerry of Stealing Its Voice-Messaging Tech (bloomberg.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the he-said-she-said dept.

Facebook is suing BlackBerry, claiming the company stole its voice-messaging technology and other patented processes. The social media company is seeking unspecified damages for infringement of six patents. Bloomberg reports: In addition to the voice-messaging patent, Facebook cites infringement of patented technology that improves how a mobile device delivers graphics, video and audio and another that centralizes tracking and analysis of GPS data. In March, BlackBerry sued Facebook in federal court in Los Angeles, accusing the social media giant of infringing on its mobile messaging patents. BlackBerry claimed Facebook made unauthorized use of its technology in its own instant messenger service, Facebook Messenger, and in WhatsApp Messenger and Instagram.

3 of 28 comments (clear)

  1. You want to admit that? by alvinrod · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why would either of these companies want to publicly admit that they've been rummaging through each other's trash bins. That's a bit like being a musician and deciding to rip off Kesha.

    If you're going to steal, find someone actually worth stealing from.

  2. Perverse Incentive to being a patent troll by sonamchauhan · · Score: 2

    Perverse Incentive: DO NOT, under any circumstances, make any products. That way, you don't infringe anything. Just sue everything who happens to 'infringe' on your excessively broad patents.

    The patent system should force inventors to *demonstrate* their invention to a panel of peers, whose responses should be considered.

    This boy, for example, should have been forced to demonstrate his unique method of swinging to playground buddies:
    https://www.newscientist.com/a...

  3. How did they patent voice messages? by sabbede · · Score: 2

    Seriously, what prior art wasn't there? My iPhone has had the feature for I don't know how long, plus there's things like voicemail. Or emailing sound files. Recording a sound clip and sending it to someone is such a basic concept that I don't see how anyone could have done it in such a novel way that it was worth a patent.