App Research In Motion Sued For Using Emoticons ;(

Research In Motion Sued For Using Emoticons ;(

Another day, another patent holder looking to make a dime. Varia Holdings LLC filed a complaint in New York that accuses RIM of infringing US Patent 7167731 titled “Emoticon input method and apparatus.” The patent reads:

an input key that, when pressed by the user while in text mode, results in the display of a list of emoticons for selection by the user. By displaying a list of emoticons, a more user friendly environment is created through which users may employ emoticons in their communications.”

Varia claims that BlackBerry devices are infringing on the patent. They are asking that the court bans the sale of BlackBerry devices and be awarded damages. Here’s the official filing:

via PaidContent

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