Real time texting app Kik Messenger is reportedly being sued by BlackBerry makers RIM, who feel it is a little too similar to its BBM platform. RIM is citing patent infringement as its reason for legal action, and has already kicked Kik Messenger off BlackBerry App World.
Kik Messenger launched just over a month ago on iOS, Android and BlackBerry, and already has over 2.5m users. Almost a million were on BlackBerry, and RIM seemed to have little issue with clearing the app for inclusion in BlackBerry App World. Not at first, at least. First RIM removed Kik (citing “breached contractual obligations”), and now it is suing the company.
It’s easy to be suspicious about RIM’s motives here. After all, BBM is a chief reason behind many consumers’ decision to buy a BlackBerry, and Kik is essentially a BBM-style service that works across three popular smartphone platforms – there’s every danger it could affect BlackBerry sales.
However, BBLeaks posits the theory that, whatever RIM hopes to get out of suing Kik, its reason for doing so is that Kik closely imitates BBM’s sent, delivered and read indicators when a message is sent.
(Via BBLeaks – thanks Iain!)
