BlackBerry sues Facebook for stealing its messaging ideas

Waterloo, March 7: BlackBerry has sued Facebook, alleging that WhatsApp and Instagram have infringed upon its intellectual property by copying features from its patent-protected BBM service.

It alleges that Facebook, created mobile messaging applications that co-opt BlackBerry’s innovations, using a number of the innovative security, user interface, and functionality enhancing features that made BlackBerry’s products such a critical and commercial success in the first place.

“BlackBerry’s suit sadly reflects the current state of its messaging business. Having abandoned its efforts to innovate, BlackBerry is now looking to tax the innovation of others. We intend to fight,” facebook’s deputy general counsel, Paul Grewal said.

BlackBerry, which nearly a decade ago was one of the world's largest smartphone makers, has in the past several years retreated into supplying software and services for corporate and government clients.