Research In Motion (RIM) is now suing the hand held maker Samsung, claiming that Samsung's new product named "Blackjack", released earlier last month, is causing lost revenues and misleading consumers into thinking that Blackjack is another product in the Blackberry line.
Now at first thought, the names don't seem very similar. In fact, I was wondering why RIM was even bothering to do a lawsuit other then to make money, rather than "making up lost revenues". But you'll understand when you see the actual pictures of these devices. They're so similar, no wonder RIM is claiming that they're losing revenue:
Blackjack:
[IMG]http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Temporale-20061113-CingularBlackJack-Small.jpg[/IMG]
(image from smartphonethoughts.com)
Blackberry:
[IMG]http://www.shopforphones.info/images/blackberry/blackberry-7290.jpg[/IMG]
(image from shopeforphones.info)
It's amazing that Samsung thought they could get away with this one. They're nearly identical in weight and size, and there's very little modifications made from the Blackberry design. Samsung's changed the market though. They've changed the device so that it's more aiming towards the entertainment market, with a built in MP3 player and a lower price tag then its Blackberry equivalent.
RIM said in the court statement, "Samsung, by wrongfully using the BlackJack mark in commerce, is tarnishing, blurring, diluting, and/or disparaging RIM's reputation and goodwill, as well as RIM's famous BlackBerry Marks." A Samsung spokesmen declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The funny thing is that if Samsung hadn't have made the design and name so similar to RIM's, they probably would have had a pretty good chance of success with the device. The device is attractively priced at $199 with a contract, and who doesn't like an MP3 player? Unfortunately, Samsung decided they just had to be a copycat. I can only hope that Samsung loses in this lawsuit.
