RIM sues Samsung over BlackJack trademark 'dilution'

 

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By Simon Aughton

Posted on 12 Dec 2006 at 13:10

Research in Motion has filed a lawsuit in the US alleging trademark infringement by Samsung's new BlackJack smartphone.

RIM claims that the phone's name is too similar to that of its own BlackBerry range of handheld devices and 'constitutes false designation of origin, unfair competition, and trademark dilution'.

The company wants the US District Court for the Central District of California to stop Samsung selling the BlackJack and is seeking unspecified damages.

'Samsung is misleading the public into falsely believing that Samsung's goods and services are connected with RIM's business,' the filing says.

Samsung said that it does not comment on pending litigation.

The Blackjack was introduced last month and is available exclusively in the US through one network carrier, Cingular, which said it had no plans to stop selling the phone.