enpan's Patent & Linux practice: Blackberry贏了iPhone附掛鍵盤的禁制令

2014年4月2日星期三

Blackberry贏了iPhone附掛鍵盤的禁制令

Blackberry公司在與TYPO PRODUCTS LLC的侵權告訴中贏得初步勝利（3/28/2014），法官認為TYPO鍵盤"疑似"侵權，因此TYPO PRODUCTS LLC被判初步禁制令（preliminary injunction）。這時，TYPO可能要將鍵盤產品下架，否則應在7日內繳付保證金才能繼續賣，Blackberry也可繼續回應。

Blackberry興訟顯然是因為如果手機都可以掛上鍵盤，具有實體鍵盤的黑莓機將失去原本特色與價值。其實Blackberry在最近的產品中也有沒有實體鍵盤的。

這個禁制令暗示了侵權成立。不過，這裡先前報導中認為Blackberry不見得會勝訴，因為專利技術比對並不見得支持這個侵權案，但訴訟就是這樣，看策略，顯然法官"初步"認同Blackberry的整體設計被侵害，只是理由頗為曖昧，考量的可能不僅是專利侵權而已。訴訟仍有上訴的空間。

一些最近法院資訊（http://dockets.justia.com/）：

禁制令：
初步禁制令（preliminary injunction）要成立，要件是：(1)侵權訴訟要有成立的可能；(2)如果沒有禁制令會造成不可修補（irreparable）的傷害；(3)站在原告立場的平衡決定；(4)禁制令符合公眾利益。因此，地院法官依據上述幾點特徵來發出禁制令。

系爭專利為曾經報導過的US7629964與USD685775，不是所有的專利都被侵權。
初步禁制令的判決中，法官透過圖案（USD685775）比對來判斷，從圖案來看，確實有相似的地方。

US7629964
參考一下判決中Claim 19的侵權比對，將Claim 19逐段切割找到各種限制，再從TYPO鍵盤找出特徵比對：

Claim 19：界定一個用於行動通訊裝置上的鍵盤，描述內容頗為細節地界定出鍵盤按鍵的排列設計，鍵盤有上表面，從中間分為左右兩側，鍵盤上列、中列與下列排列有26個字母鍵與至少一個其他鍵，有個中列的字鍵臨界左側，其餘從左到右沿著鍵盤表面分佈，在每一列的按鍵排列近一半設於左側，近一半設於右側，上列中左右側各設有5個字鍵...，每一列都有不同的字鍵數量設計。
19. A keyboard for use with a mobile communication device, the keyboard configured in a device housing having a top surfaces the top surface having a left edge and a right edge and being bisected by a vertical reference substantially midway between the left edge and the right edge,

the keyboard having twenty-six letter keys and at least one other key:

the twenty six letter keys and the at least one other key being arranged in an upper row, a middle row, and a lower row,

the letter keys in of the upper row being distributed across the top surface from adjacent the left edge to adjacent the right edge,

a letter key in the middle row being adjacent the left edge of the housing and the keys in the middle row being distributed across the top surface of the housing from adjacent the left edge to adjacent the right edge,

the keys in each of the upper, middle and lower rows being arranged so that approximately half of the keys in each of the respective rows are positioned to the left of the vertical reference and approximately half of the keys in each of the respective rows row are positioned to the right of the vertical reference, five letter keys in the upper row being disposed on each side of the vertical reference, five letter keys in the middle row being disposed on one side of the vertical reference and four letter keys in the middle row being disposed on the other side of the vertical reference, and four letter keys in the lower row being disposed on the one side of the vertical reference line and three letter keys in the lower row being disposed on the other side of the vertical reference line; and

each letter key in the lower row being substantially vertically aligned with a respective letter key in each of the upper and middle rows.