Canadian technology company BlackBerry Ltd. (TSX:BB)(NYSE:BB) has recently filed a lawsuit against social media mega-giant Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB), claiming that Facebook infringed on BlackBerry's proprietary technology the company initially put into its BlackBerry messenger service. This lawsuit is one of many for BlackBerry, a company which has used litigation over the years to beef up profitability and provide a sort of competitive moat in terms of intellectual property in the tech space.
While the probability of BlackBerry winning such a lawsuit remains uncertain, the possibility of garnering a settlement against Facebook could potentially create shareholder value, a sentiment which was reflected in comments made by BlackBerry's management team. BlackBerry has invested heavily in its patent portfolio over the years, and has continued to fight battles on multiple fronts to achieve a return on investment over time.
With investors focusing more in the future than the past, however, any "wins" BlackBerry is able to provide shareholders would potentially speed up the process whereby the company would continue to recreate itself as a leader in autonomous vehicle software.
BlackBerry remains a top pick of mine for the long-term due to the direction of the company's management team and the ability of the firm to make a strong pivot in the right direction. News of lawsuits such as these can be distracting from the overall growth trajectory the company is currently on.
Invest wisely, my friends.
