(Adds BlackBerry spokeswoman's statement)
By Ahmed Farhatha
March 6 (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd BB.TO on Tuesday fileda patent infringement lawsuit against Facebook Inc FB.O andits WhatsApp and Instagram apps, arguing that they copiedtechnology and features from BlackBerry Messenger.
Litigation over patent infringement is part of BlackBerryChief Executive John Chen's strategy for making money for thecompany, which has lost market share in the smartphone market itonce dominated.
"Defendants created mobile messaging applications thatco-opt BlackBerry's innovations, using a number of theinnovative security, user interface, and functionality enhancingfeatures," Canada-based BlackBerry said in a filing with a LosAngeles federal court.
"Protecting shareholder assets and intellectual property isthe job of every CEO," BlackBerry spokeswoman Sarah McKinneysaid in an email. However, she noted that litigation was "notcentral to BlackBerry's strategy."
The lawsuit followed years of negotiation and BlackBerry hasan obligation to shareholders to pursue appropriate legalremedies, she added.
Facebook Deputy General Counsel Paul Grewal said in astatement that the company intended to fight the lawsuit.
"Blackberry's suit sadly reflects the current state of itsmessaging business," Grewal said. "Having abandoned its effortsto innovate, Blackberry is now looking to tax the innovation ofothers."
BlackBerry is trying to persuade other companies to paylicensing royalties to use its trove of more than 40,000 globalpatents on technology including operating systems, networkinginfrastructure, acoustics, messaging, automotive subsystems,cybersecurity and wireless communications.
BlackBerry is also selling cybersecurity software for selfdriving cars.
BlackBerry sued Nokia (HE:NOKIA) Corp in February 2017, alleginginfringement of patents relating to 3G and 4G wirelesscommunications technology. That case is still pending in federalcourt in Delaware. year Qualcomm Inc QCOM.O agreed to pay BlackBerry$940 million to resolve arbitration over royalty payments. October 2017 BlackBerry announced a confidentialsettlement with Blu Products Inc, a Florida-based maker oflow-cost mobile devices it had also sued for patentinfringement.