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Technology and the Internet

BlackBerry suit claims Ryan Seacrest-backed company copied its keyboard

By Tracey Lien
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Last year, smartphone maker BlackBerry filed a lawsuit against a Ryan Seacrest-backed start-up that was selling the Typo 1, a BlackBerry-like physical keyboard that can be clipped to an iPhone.

On Monday, BlackBerry filed another suit against the Los Angeles company, Typo Products, this one to stop sales of a follow-up product, the Typo 2.

In the latest suit, BlackBerry says Typo Products “blatantly copies BlackBerry’s iconic keyboard trade dress designs.”

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Typo Products released the Typo 2 last September, enlarging some keys and altering some of the key placement.

The Typo 1 suit is ongoing. In February, Typo Products was fined $800,000 for violating a court injunction to stop selling the accessory.

Now BlackBerry is asking the courts to halt sale of the Typo 2 while it seeks damages.

Typo Products did not respond to a request for comment.

Twitter: @traceylien

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Technology and the Internet
Tracey Lien

Tracey Lien covered Silicon Valley and the technology industry for The Times’ business section before leaving in 2018 to pursue her MFA at the University of Kansas. A Sydney native, she came to the U.S. because the servings are bigger. She enjoys perpetuating lies about Australian animals, specifically drop bears and boxing kangaroos.

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