Facebook is hitting back at BlackBerry with its own patent-infringement suit.
Facebook on Tuesday filed suit in a California district court over patents covering voice messaging and storing GPS data techniques, in addition to security and networking technologies. The technology, however, was not developed by the site; Facebook acquired the patents via a 2012 deal with Microsoft.
This comes after BlackBerry in March claimed Facebook had stolen patented technology originally used in BlackBerry's messaging software for use in Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
Facebook says BlackBerry is using its technology in instant messaging, secure file transfer, and location tracking products. So far, neither company has publicly commented on the lawsuit. But Facebook is demanding the Canadian vendor pay damages.
Facebook has dismissed BlackBerry's lawsuit as an attempt "to tax the innovation of others."
"BlackBerry's suit sadly reflects the current state of its messaging business," Facebook's deputy general counsel said earlier this year.
In 2016, BlackBerry shut down its smartphone division; it now licenses the company trademarks to Chinese manufacturer TCL, which still builds BlackBerry phones that run Android. Since pivoting away from phone hardware, the Canadian vendor has been focused on offering enterprise software products.
1 Cool Thing: BlackBerry Key2
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