Facebook sues BlackBerry over voice messaging technology

Facebook has sued BlackBerry over an alleged patent infringement. According to the social network, BlackBerry has leveraged Facebook’s intellectual property surrounding voice messaging technology.

According to Bloomberg, Facebook has filed a case in a federal judge in San Francisco accusing BlackBerry of stealing voice messaging technology and other proprietary processes. It concerns an infringement of six different patents, for which Facebook is asking for unspecified damages. BlackBerry has not yet responded to a request for comment.

The indictment allegedly alleges not only patenting the voice messaging technology, but also stealing technology that improves how a mobile device displays graphics, videos and audio. It is also alleged that a patent has been infringed on centralizing tracking and analyzing GPS data.

Facebook’s claims are likely an attempt to hit back at its ongoing conflict with BlackBerry. In March, BlackBerry sued Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram for violating its own patents. This involved technology for BlackBerry Messenger, the company’s chat app. According to BlackBerry, it concerns a number of patents surrounding the security, user interface and functionality that have made the BlackBerry products a commercial success in the past and have later been used by Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp Messenger and Instagram. It also concerns cryptographic techniques and other patents related to improvements for the mobile display.