RIM sues for infringement over Samsung's BlackJack

TORONTO, Dec 13 (Reuters) Research In Motion Ltd. is suing Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. alleging the South Korean electronics giant has infringed on RIM's well-known BlackBerry trademark name by launching its competing BlackJack smartphone.

In the suit filed Dec. 8 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, RIM alleges Samsung has decided to name one of its handheld devices the BlackJack to ride on the coattails of success enjoyed by RIM's BlackBerry line of smartphones.

''With intentional disregard for RIM's trademark rights, Samsung has used the BlackJack mark in a manner which is confusingly similar to RIM's BlackBerry marks,'' RIM states, adding that ''as a result of such acts, Samsung is misleading the public into falsely believing that Samsung's goods and services are connected with RIM's business.'' RIM is seeking unspecified damages and legal costs, as well as for Samsung to ''deliver to RIM for destruction'' every item that bears the BlackJack mark that the company holds or has sold.

The latest in RIM's lineup of popular smartphones, the BlackBerry Pearl, is very similar in appearance and dimensions to Samsung's BlackJack, RIM states in its suit.

Cingular, which RIM says is the biggest carrier of its BlackBerries, is also selling the BlackJack in the United States, which is RIM's biggest market.

Samsung was not immediately available for comment.

REUTERS DKS PM0417