BlackBerry CEO John Chen really doesn’t mess around. In a new blog post on BlackBerry’s official website, Chen vowed to crack down on leaks of future devices and products and said that his company would seek criminal prosecutions against any and all leakers, whether they come from within or from outside the company. Chen acknowledges that BlackBerry fans enjoy seeing devices leaked before their launch but says that they’re doing too much damage to the company to be left unchecked.
“I recognize that, in some cases, the leaks reflect people’s genuine interest in BlackBerry,” Chen writes. “There are a lot of people whose enthusiasm for our company and our products makes them want to know what we will do next — and that can be a tremendous asset for us as a brand. But, when curiosity turns to criminality, we must take strong action. We will always take appropriate actions to prevent leaks from happening and in some cases this means prosecuting individuals — internally or externally — who leak confidential information.”
Yikes! Chen also says that BlackBerry fans should expect to see a lot fewer leaks pop up in their favorite BlackBerry blogs, which might annoy many of the bloggers whose bread-and-butter has been leaked specs, images and videos of upcoming BlackBerry devices. However, Chen asks that BlackBerry diehards remain patient because BlackBerry will happily share all details about upcoming products “when they are ready to be shared.”
Chen has been racking up quite an enemies list ever since taking over as BlackBerry CEO. In addition to getting aggressive with BlackBerry leakers, Chen has also gotten into high-profile feuds with T-Mobile CEO John Legere and American Idol host Ryan Seacrest.
