Old BlackBerry Patents Become a Threat to the Global Printer Industry

Old patents owned by the BlackBerry brand now pose a threat to the global printer industry. Patents originally developed for smartphones are being used in a lawsuit against printer manufacturer Brother Industries and could trigger a domino effect on other producers. The lawsuit was filed by Malikie Innovations and Key Patent Innovations. Both accuse Brother’s printer devices of infringing on four patents. The four relate to secure wireless communication technology, data encoding methods, and touch-screen interfaces. This technology was originally developed for BlackBerry smartphones. Although BlackBerry’s hardware business has faded, its patent assets remain a highly valuable commodity. The plaintiffs assess that Brother committed intentional infringement, as it continued using the technology despite allegedly knowing about the patents and having the opportunity to license them. If proven, Brother will face not only compensation claims but also potential additional penalties. The lawsuit also seeks a permanent court injunction. If granted, Brother must redesign its products or even halt sales of certain printers in the market. This lawsuit also highlights the phenomenon of intellectual property from companies no longer dominant in the market that can be exploited to generate revenue through legal action. Nevertheless, the case is still in its early stages and Brother has not provided an official response. If it chooses to fight the lawsuit, the legal process is expected to be lengthy and costly, as summarised by KompasTekno from Tech Radar.