OTTAWA–While Research in Motion disappointed many analysts this week by offering relatively little specific or new information about the next generation of BlackBerry phones, it did make one announcement at a software conference. The new operating system for those phones will be named BBX.
But there may be a problem with that plan. Basis International, a software company based in Albuquerque, N.M., holds the trademark for a slight variation of that name, BBx, and it said it was taking unspecified legal action to protect its rights.
“We are fielding numerous customer inquiries voicing their confusion about the RIM announcement, Nico Spence, the chairman and chief executive of Basis, said in a statement.
The episode echoes the situation that occurred after Apples announcement of the iPhone in January 2007. Cisco Systems, which made Internet-based phones under the same name, swiftly launched a trademark infringement lawsuit. A few weeks later, the two companies apple reached a confidential settlement.
In a statement, RIM said that it had not yet received any legal complaint from Basis, adding: “We do not believe the marks are confusing, particularly since our respective companies are in different lines of business.
BBx is a computer language that enables software developers to create a single application that will work on a variety of operating systems.
After complaining about what he viewed as trademark infringement by RIM, Mr. Spence took the opportunity to promote his product as being ideally suited for that company.
“Ironically, BASIS BBx may aid RIM in its quest to grab a share of the application market for mobile devices in that any application created with BASIS BBx for the Android or iOS mobile devices will also run on BlackBerry products, he said.
But there may be a problem with that plan. Basis International, a software company based in Albuquerque, N.M., holds the trademark for a slight variation of that name, BBx, and it said it was taking unspecified legal action to protect its rights.
“We are fielding numerous customer inquiries voicing their confusion about the RIM announcement, Nico Spence, the chairman and chief executive of Basis, said in a statement.
The episode echoes the situation that occurred after Apples announcement of the iPhone in January 2007. Cisco Systems, which made Internet-based phones under the same name, swiftly launched a trademark infringement lawsuit. A few weeks later, the two companies apple reached a confidential settlement.
In a statement, RIM said that it had not yet received any legal complaint from Basis, adding: “We do not believe the marks are confusing, particularly since our respective companies are in different lines of business.
BBx is a computer language that enables software developers to create a single application that will work on a variety of operating systems.
After complaining about what he viewed as trademark infringement by RIM, Mr. Spence took the opportunity to promote his product as being ideally suited for that company.
“Ironically, BASIS BBx may aid RIM in its quest to grab a share of the application market for mobile devices in that any application created with BASIS BBx for the Android or iOS mobile devices will also run on BlackBerry products, he said.
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