Brydge Sues Kickstarter for Selling iPad Keyboard It Claims is a Clone

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Brydge sues Kickstarter for selling iPad keyboard it claims is a clone

iPad keyboard maker Brydge is suing over a very similar-looking competitor called Libra. The lawsuit targets an alleged creator of the device, but it also goes after Kickstarter for hosting a crowdfunding campaign in support of the Libra keyboard.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in a federal court in New York, accuses the company it believes is Libra's creator, OGadget, of violating a patent owned by Brydge. That patent covers the key features that make a Brydge keyboard work: primarily, a U-shaped hinge that's able to rotate the keyboard open and closed like a laptop when it's attached to something like an iPad.

[...]"To see something as brazen as this launch on Kickstarter ... honestly, it's a bit of a kick in the face to our staff tirelessly building the reputation we've built," Nick Smith, CEO and co-founder of Brydge, tells The Verge.

Brydge wants the court to block all sales of the Libra keyboard, which would include removing the crowdfunding campaign from Kickstarter. It's seeking punitive damages for the alleged patent violation, too.

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