Canadian back down to China: Blackberry will not confront Chinese immitaters

Associated Press ^

[CodeRouge]

China gives BlackBerry maker a raspberry

NEW YORK - The BlackBerry e-mail device is coming to China in the next few months. By then, thousands of Chinese may already be checking their e-mail on the new "Redberry."

The Redberry is not a new version of the BlackBerry that's been designed by Research in Motion Ltd. for the Chinese market. It's the name being used by two unaffiliated Chinese companies selling a BlackBerry-like service on a non-BlackBerry mobile device.

And it's yet another example of how the Chinese market is still more like the Wild West than Western-style capitalism, regardless of Chinese President Hu Jintao's efforts to paint a more progressive economic picture during last week's visit to the United States.

The ploy of exploiting BlackBerry's brand recognition is all the more bizarre - RIM's chief executive called it "weird" in an interview - because of the two companies involved. One, not so surprisingly, is a pugnacious start-up. But the other is China Unicom Ltd., whose majority owner is none other than the Chinese government.

... ...

RIM, like numerous technology companies, isn't about to provoke the Chinese government with a public complaint. "China has it's own gestation cycle and you work with it and you respect it," Balsillie said, allowing only that a matter as "silly" as the Redberry might serve as a "nice test case" to see "what kind of remedies available through the system there are."

That non-confrontational approach does not have the same broader implications as similar stances taken by Google Inc., Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft, which have complied with Chinese censorship demands.

[CodeRouge]

Canadians now signal that they will 'repect' Chinese business practices. Will American businesses follow suit?

[snowsislander]

RIM, like numerous technology companies, isn't about to provoke the Chinese government with a public complaint.

Red China may well tip the argument over whether or not "intellectual property" is simply a specious idea. The idea of "intellectual property" is a relatively new concept (especially in its most encompassing versions, such as allowing patents on business processes and algorithms), and one that unless all major players adopt it, loses its value. If the PRC decides not to go along with this model, then I wouldn't give odds on its long-term success.

[raybbr]

ping

[hoosierham]

One billion counterfeiters can't be wrong?

[indthkr]

"that unless all major players adopt it, loses its value....... then I wouldn't give odds on its long-term success."

That would certainly be bad news for the U.S. economy. As more manufacturing leaves U.S. shores, Intellectual-Property (IP) based business models will be about the only thing we will have going that can provide the type of value needed to justify our expensive consumerism and over-priced real estate (in some regions, at least).

[pganini]

Interesting -- so how do you explain the LAWSUIT that Blackberry just paid ($700 million+) for ITS patent infringement against another cmopany?