RIM May Have to Rename BBX

[Guest]

Don't get too excited about Backberry BBX just yet.

RIM May Have to Rename BBX : Read more

 

[cumi2k4]

The legal cost for this case should be reclassified by Basis' accountants as advertising expenses...

 

[mavroxur]

Because obviously there's a chance that someone might mistake the no-name software company for RIM. Hell, it's doing Basis a favor (being mistaken for RIM).

 

[Guest]

I think Basis is correct in filing the lawsuit. I wouldn't want to be associated with RIM either.

 

[tranzparentl]

Not like it matters much since RIM will be out of business in a few years anyway.

 

[Guest]

Back in the dawn of time, before the Internet, Before AOL and CompuServe, there was dial-up bulletin board software called BBX. They should sue too. As a communications product they would seem to have a more relevant claim...

 

[shqtth]

Well they use BBM, so i dont see why they can't use BBX. ANd I don't see how dumb f*cks could get it confused.


Basis people know what basis is. I used basis before, and its like basic on steroids, kind of slow too. (kind of like how there was visual basic for doc, well heir system usually runs on terminals and telnet, so its not graphics based.) (Visual basic for dos used ascii to mimic windows) (Basis is more on the buisness side of things, so its mostly text based)

 

[shqtth]

They could always call it BB X OR BBosX

 

[Wish I Was Wealthy]

It's always been based on money making these lawsuits & always will be.

 

[CPU666d1]

Looks like now, there will be some extra cash bonus for these lawyers again.

 

[Guest]

Basis was sold a product called BBx. It went through versions 1.x, 2.x, 3.x, 4.x and finally 5.x which was split between a text based version and a GUI based product that ran on MS Windows. BBx run on any version of UNIX, Linux and MS Windows.

I'm a retired systems Analyst who worked on BBx from version 2.x through to 5.x before I retired.

BBx was based on an older Business Basis created by a company called MAI. I'm not even sure if MAI is still around but they also had a product called BBM that they trademarked which was a version of their language designed to run on their custom built PCs back in to Windows 3.x days.

If a trademark is granted and is kept up to date then no one, even Microsoft, Apple, or RIM can use it without legal repercussions. If MAI was still around then RIM could be sued for their use of the BBM trademark as well. Both MAI & Basis predate the formation of Research in Motion.

 

[eddieroolz]

The Worldwide Basis Community, eh. Never heard of it, never will.

 

[Guest]

I have been using BBx since the late 1980's. They have millions of users, and thousands of dealers. Our company has spent close to 10 million dollars developing a product with BBx. I am deeply upset at RIM for attempting to infringe upon Basis mark, "BBX". For those who don't know, BBx runs in both CUI, GUI, BUI, and it is running BlackBerry devices also.

We are upset because when we go up against SAP we certainly don't want our competitors stating that our software was written on a cheap Blackberry OS. Can you hear the laughter in the room. This would seriously damage or kill our company.

For those of you who are not familiar with the product, Business Basic was written by Basic Four back in 1971. The company was later renamed to MAI/ Basic Four. They had products called, BB, BBI, BBII, BBM, GPX, SPX, MPX, BOSS, etc. Employees of this company left and created BBx back in 1985. Since then, it has dominated the BB programming environment. They have millions of users, including customers like Citibank. In the back office environment, BBx dominates this world. BBx is well known to be the fastest programming environment in the world. I can clearly understand why RIM wants the mark. RIM would clearly be enriched by the use of the infringed mark. There was complete confusion in the Basis BBx world.

As for trademarks, Basis has used the mark since 1985 and gain uncontestable status of the mark in 1995 (Category #8 - software). Under USC Title 17 law, Basis is the only company that can use the mark, "BBX" with any product in the software world. Basis has the right to seek and be granted reasonable attorney fees, court cost, and damages if RIM does not cease and desist using the mark by October 31, 2011.

This case is a slam dunk for Basis.

 

[STravis]

Basis doesn't seem to be asking for money on this - they just don't want RIM to name their OS in a way that would be similar to their own product....sounds reasonable.