[Bfalcon1]

I saw a news headline but could not open it that Blackberry is planning to sell their patents. Anyone hear news this is accurate? What will it mean?

[conite]

I saw a news headline but could not open it that Blackberry is planning to sell their patents. Anyone hear news this is accurate? What will it mean?

They wish to sell the patents that aren't related to their primary lines of business.

[the_boon]

They wish to sell the patents that aren't related to their primary lines of business.

And keyboard patents could be one of them?

[conite]

And keyboard patents could be one of them?

The only things specifically mentioned are these:

"The patents up for sale include IP in areas where BlackBerry was a trailblazer but is no longer a player, such as mobile instant messaging and social collaboration tools."

[John EC1]

It is being reported in the Canadian press. You would think they have good insight into a Canadian company. Maybe it is related to the whole FoxxCon / Onward Mobility siuation

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Might explain why OM is doing their own keyboard design....


Be interesting to see what they can get for these patents. Many (some in the shareholder threads) have long wished for BlackBerry to better monetize these. But they also feel those old patents are worth billions all on their own. Might have been eight years ago.... but today's market is very different.

[conite]

Might explain why OM is doing their own keyboard design....


Be interesting to see what they can get for these patents. Many (some in the shareholder threads) have long wished for BlackBerry to better monetize these. But they also feel those old patents are worth billions all on their own. Might have been eight years ago.... but today's market is very different.

The estimate for the patents they wish to unload is $450 million.

With licencing revenue expected to exceed $250 million this fiscal year, it will be interesting to see how much of the total portfolio is dead weight.

[the_boon]

The estimate for the patents they wish to unload is $450 million.

With licencing revenue expected to exceed $250 million this fiscal year, it will be interesting to see how much of the total portfolio is dead weight.

If it's really gonna be something of that amount, I doubt OM would be willing to pay all that cash upfront for some patents. Makes more sense to license them lol.

[conite]

If it's really gonna be something of that amount, I doubt OM would be willing to pay all that cash upfront for some patents. Makes more sense to license them lol.

Despite spending one or two orders of magnitude more building them, the keyboard IP probably has a market value in the low 6 figures. Maybe less.

But again, there is no indication that they're trying to sell them one way or the other.

[the_boon]

Despite spending one or two orders of magnitude more building them, the keyboard IP probably has a market value in the low 6 figures. Maybe less.

To OM, yeah lower 6 digits I'd say. But if a large OEM wanted to scoop them up for several projects they have in mind, might be more worth it for them.
The only way I can think of they could make good use of them without making KEY type phones would be to incorporate them as add-on accessories or with foldable phones to give them more utility.

[conite]

To OM, yeah lower 6 digits I'd say. But if a large OEM wanted to scoop them up for several projects they have in mind, might be more worth it for them.
The only way I can think of they could make good use of them without making KEY type phones would be to incorporate them as add-on accessories or with foldable phones to give them more utility.

If any interest existed, big OEMs would have scooped them up long ago.

[the_boon]

If any interest existed, big OEMs would have scooped them up long ago.

That's probably true to a big extent, but now that the market is pretty much dry, and these BB patents are getting cheap, could be worth it. Never know what OEMs could be cooking up.
Again I don't put much hope into KEY type phones, but more into Wing or foldable form factors that somehow incorporate a PKB.

[Rico4you]

I saw a news headline but could not open it that Blackberry is planning to sell their patents. Anyone hear news this is accurate? What will it mean?

Non confirmed news....but gaining speed it's true.

[Bfalcon1]

I wonder if selling the Hub patents is on the table?

[Bla1ze]

The only things specifically mentioned are these:

"The patents up for sale include IP in areas where BlackBerry was a trailblazer but is no longer a player, such as mobile instant messaging and social collaboration tools."

That doesn't really allude to keyboard patents unless one is loosely interpreting. That sounds more like BBM and the components that went along with it such as the BBM Channels dashboard, etc. Stuff they purchased like Chalk Media, Scroon, ScoreLoop.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Was another article about a week ago... https://forums.crackberry.com/showth...1#post13558043

That pointed out that BlackBerry initially, was looking for a "deal" that would allow them to retain a back-end interest in future revenues. But after a year and no taker, and Cylance not panning out as expected. Who knows what Chen's willing to sell at this point.

Global said "majority of their 38,000 patents", neither sounds like just a small fraction dealing with just BBM.

[eshropshire]

If it's really gonna be something of that amount, I doubt OM would be willing to pay all that cash upfront for some patents. Makes more sense to license them lol.

Reading the description I doubt the Keyboard patent is involve. Also considering patents are only good for 19 years I assume that patent only has a few years left.

I believe the most valuable patents are for messaging. BlackBerry has won several claims on their messaging patents. They probably have a few other software patents that have value. The challenge they will have is finding someone with deep pockets who want the patents. US Court patent rules have changed a lot over the past few years. No more shopping for a hick Court. Also, rules make it harder to enforce patents from patent mill companies.

My guess is Facebook will buy the patents for well under 1/2 of what BlackBerry wants. Will help protect FB with Facebook messaging, Instagram and WhatsApp.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Reading the description I doubt the Keyboard patent is involve. Also considering patents are only good for 19 years I assume that patent only has a few years left.

I believe the most valuable patents are for messaging. BlackBerry has won several claims on their messaging patents. They probably have a few other software patents that have value. The challenge they will have is finding someone with deep pockets who want the patents. US Court patent rules have changed a lot over the past few years. No more shopping for a hick Court. Also, rules make it harder to enforce patents from patent mill companies.

My guess is Facebook will buy the patents for well under 1/2 of what BlackBerry wants. Will help protect FB with Facebook messaging, Instagram and WhatsApp.

I wasn't aware of wins in their messaging patent claims... most of them have been turn down. Only a few left that Facebook, SNAP, Twitter and Instagram are still fighting pretty strongly. At one time some thought these would be worth billions, but I don't think anyone is still thinking that, with the way things have gone over the last two years. And have to assume that BlackBerry picked their most valuable patents to "protect" or monetize.

That big case against QC wasn't about patents, but overpayments...

Biggest issue is many of these companies have been using features for years, BlackBerry barley was able to proceed with the current round, due to their "communications" going back years. That won't help someone that wants to pick through all these and find one that someone else has been infringing on for years and years.

From what I read.... it's the majority of their patents dealing with all things that BlackBerry is no longer interested in. I expect that would include hardware designs like keyboards. Have to remember there isn't one PKB patent, but years and years of them. Many that made it to product devices, other that were more theoretical in nature (and shorter patent life). While the designs of some of their earliest devices might soon to expire, the designs for the likes of the Classic and Mercury still have a lot of life. If there is a viable market for those patents....

[katxeus]

What valuable IP can be salvaged from an EOL OS like BB10 (supposing it's part of the lot)? Considering IOS 10+ and Android 10+ already incorporated gesture-based navigation without a single mention of any sort of licensing deal between BlackBerry and either Apple or Google!

Posted via CB10

[conite]

What valuable IP can be salvaged from an EOL OS like BB10 (supposing it's part of the lot)? Considering IOS 10+ and Android 10+ already incorporated gesture-based navigation without a single mention of any sort of licensing deal between BlackBerry and either Apple or Google!

Posted via CB10

Most of their patents have nothing to do with phones.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Most of their patents have nothing to do with phones.

Yeah Cisco is one of their bigger IP clients... (thanks in part to what BlackBerry got from Nortel) but again I doubt they will be giving up patents they have already monetized.

I have my doubts that they is much revenue to be generated from what BlackBerry and their licensing partners have already combed through. That said, just the threat of selling these to some patent troll, might be enough for someone to just want to take them out of play.

And hopefully any revenue generated will be enough to allow Chen to do "something" more to improve the companies current product lines.

[the_boon]

Most of their patents have nothing to do with phones.

Plot twist: UniHertz are the ones who bought BlackBerry's keyboard patents to create a roadblock for OM

[eshropshire]

What valuable IP can be salvaged from an EOL OS like BB10 (supposing it's part of the lot)? Considering IOS 10+ and Android 10+ already incorporated gesture-based navigation without a single mention of any sort of licensing deal between BlackBerry and either Apple or Google!

Posted via CB10

BlackBerry actually took gesture based controls from other OSs. They did not invent gesture drive mobile OSs.

[Chuck Finley69]

BlackBerry actually took gesture based controls from other OSs. They did not invent gesture drive mobile OSs.

In other news, BB also didn't invent the PKB either.

[zer0ten]

I'd buy BB10 for $50,000.