COPYCENSE

“Hot on the heels of the settlement of a rancorous patent dispute, Research In Motion may have a new fight on its hands. Canada’s RIM this year plans to launch its iconic BlackBerry wireless e-mail device in China, where it will go toe-to-toe with China Unicom, the state-run telecommunications company.

“RIM, which in February agreed to pay a $612.5 million settlement with U.S. holding company NTP, has confirmed it’s on track to introduce the BlackBerry in China by the middle of the year. Not to be outdone, China Unicom has launched its own BlackBerry-like wireless e-mail service.

“And here’s where it gets weird. China Unicom’s service is not only patterned after the BlackBerry, but its name is inspired by the BlackBerry as well.”

Arik Hesseldahl. BlackBerry vs. Redberry in China. BusinessWeek Online. April 13, 2006.

CopyCense™: K. Matthew Dames on the law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.