AppleInsider Staff
Typo, makers of a BlackBerry-like keyboard accessory for the iPhone, were ordered Wednesday to pay the Canadian smartphone maker $860,000 plus attorneys' fees and costs after failing to heed a sales injunction handed down last March.
BlackBerry filed suit against Typo — Â backed by entertainment industry veteran Ryan Seacrest — Â in January of last year, alleging that Typo had "blatantly copied" BlackBerry's own keyboard. BlackBerry won a sales injunction three months later, and Wednesday's fine is a result of Typo having sold some 19,000 keyboards in direct violation of that injunction, according to Reuters.
Typo has since redesigned its accessory, and the company said that Wednesday's ruling had no effect on the second-generation unit. Typo is also planning to release a version for the iPad Air, though it is unlikely to face similar trouble.
BlackBerry initially sought $2.64 million in fines, and Typo argued that any sales of its keyboard did not constitute a loss to BlackBerry. U.S. District Judge William Orrick classed Typo's arguments as "not so clever attempts to evade the court's preliminary injunction."
"The amount of sanctions awarded is only a third of what BlackBerry sought and is directly tied to additional revenue that Typo could have expected from its illegal conduct," Orrick wrote.
Brian Patterson
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50 Comments
This is still a stupid accessory since it blocks the Touch ID sensor.
But, at least BBY can keep the lights on another week or so!
I don't think the touch ID sensor is near as universally used as you might assume -- I had a Typo for my iPhone 5 before I got my iPhone 6 plus (which there is no typo keyboard for or I would have it too)...and I have to say I never once used the touch ID sensor, nor do I know anybody in my company that does...its a gimmick that I don't think is something everyone uses....and clearly for most people who get these keyboards the physical keypad is far more important that a touch sensor...
I don't think the touch ID sensor is near as universally used as you might assume -- I had a Typo for my iPhone 5 before I got my iPhone 6 plus (which there is no typo keyboard for or I would have it too)...and I have to say I never once used the touch ID sensor, nor do I know anybody in my company that does...its a gimmick that I don't think is something everyone uses....and clearly for most people who get these keyboards the physical keypad is far more important that a touch sensor...
Touch ID:
Definitely there are people (you included) who don't use some great technology.
I unlock my phone 50-100 times a day. I don't need to type a alpha-numeric 10 characters (required by the security policy of my company).
Touch ID saves me some time and lot's of frustration.
Touch ID is really fast and convinient.
It's one of the best things in the iPhone and it works really well.
I love touchID.
[quote name="RonAnnArbor" url="/t/184649/federal-court-levies-near-1m-fine-against-ryan-seacrests-typo-iphone-keyboard#post_2671460"]I don't think the touch ID sensor is near as universally used as you might assume -- I had a Typo for my iPhone 5 before I got my iPhone 6 plus (which there is no typo keyboard for or I would have it too)...and I have to say I never once used the touch ID sensor, nor do I know anybody in my company that does...its a gimmick that I don't think is something everyone uses....and clearly for most people who get these keyboards the physical keypad is far more important that a touch sensor...[/quote] The iPhone 5 does not have Touch ID....
Is Seacrest merely a paid spokesperson or an owner of the company? Home free if the former, out some serious money if the latter.