Thread: RIM From Good To Bad In One Day, Lawsuit Threatens BBX Name

Just when all the excitement over RIM's new BBX platform seems to have peaked, RIM has been struck with yet another lawsuit. This time it is in direct relation to the BBX name. BASIS International a global software company, promptly took legal action after RIM's press release about the BBX name stating that the name is causing great confusion with in its world wide customer base.

In an official statement BASIS Chairman and CEO, Nico Spence, said,

“We have thousands of product licenses installed worldwide with the ‘BBX’ prefix that run on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and other proprietary UNIX OSs from IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and SUN, with mobile clients running Apple iOS, Google Android, and Windows Mobile. We are fielding numerous customer inquiries voicing their confusion about the RIM announcement.”

It seems as though RIM never took the time to review the current trademarks. The ironic part here is that Spence also states the following;

“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.”

RIM has released the following statment regarding the issue:

“RIM has not yet received a copy of the legal complaint described in Basis International’s press release, but we do not believe the marks are confusing, particularly since our respective companies are in different lines of business.”

Who would have thought this early in the game that RIM would be facing legal problems. We will keep you posted on this as it unfolds. I wonder what the new name will be if they have to change it. What do you think it should be called?

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I'd bet you that 90% of all Blackberry users don't even know who or what BASIS is and that this bbx extention exists.
And how dumb are you for mistaking a smartphone for a pc / mac / whatever prefix?
Common sensce people, or is this something not used anymore in the world today?
Wecould start sueing everything and everybody. What name isn't used in a different way?
Gonna sue fruitstands for selling the wrong kind of apples?
I do have to ask RIM what's wrong with QNX? We know it, we heard about it, just slap QNX on it and market it as the new OS not the link between current OS 5/6/7 and BBX. QNXII maybe.

Originally Posted by Poita316

I'd bet you that 90% of all Blackberry users don't even know who or what BASIS is and that this bbx extention exists.
And how dumb are you for mistaking a smartphone for a pc / mac / whatever prefix?
Common sensce people, or is this something not used anymore in the world today?
Wecould start sueing everything and everybody. What name isn't used in a different way?
Gonna sue fruitstands for selling the wrong kind of apples?
I do have to ask RIM what's wrong with QNX? We know it, we heard about it, just slap QNX on it and market it as the new OS not the link between current OS 5/6/7 and BBX. QNXII maybe.

That is true

Something similar happened when the original iPhone was used and Cisco went a little crazy about it... it was all settled anyways... same thing will happen here...

What I find really odd is that BBx by basis, is actually BBj, and 'x' in the moniker is actually just a variable placement (in this case as a placeholder for a version number)... like 'n' is in algebraic equations. not to mention that the registered trademark is for BBxProgression/2, 3, 4, Pro/5, etc.. The original trademark alone for BBx, according to US patent and trademarks, is registered worldwide seven thousand some odd times by many different companies and entities (as of 2010). It seems the original Basis International 'BBx' trademark has long been released seemingly because the full BBxPRO... names are still trademarked, but not 'BBx'... weird no?

Frankly, RIM could counter-sue them for using the "BB" moniker as its trademarked (and up kept) by RIM.

I see it going a few ways, RIM has to pay out a little bit, BBX name stays, and Basis International will have to change their BBx to simply BB[version#] with lettering unable to be used to denote version number..

Frankly, If Basis International wants to get some money from a frivolous lawsuit, RIM should send notice to the British Broadcasting Corporation... since Basis International had used BBc at one point using their newer designations.

Maybe bring BankAtlantic Bancorp, Inc. into it for everyone using their Stock Exchange designation. lol

Haha, good examples. It does really get out of hand.