Combining two amazing products -- a qwerty keyboard resembling Blackberry's design able to attach to an iPhone -- into one sounded like the perfect concept when Ryan Seacrest and others began developing it a few years ago. They called it the "Typo" because it significantly reduced errors invariably made on the iPhone's touch pad.

Last week, however, a judge ruled the design was close enough to Blackberry's that Typo would have to stop selling its product until the case between the two companies concluded, Time reported. Since opening sales in January, Typo has sold about 4,000 snap-on keyboards at $99 each. The $400,000 in revenue wasn't much of a start, according to the measurements of the New York Times and Time, but those numbers would most likely at least pique the interest of "Shark Tank's" panel. With legal fees and the likelihood of unfulfilled orders, the company could go out of business before Seacrest recoups the reported $1 million he has already invested.

"This is a blatant infringement against BlackBerry's iconic keyboard, and we will vigorously protect our intellectual property against any company that attempts to copy our unique design," Steve Zipperstein, BlackBerry's General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer, said in the company's press release when they first sued Typo in January. "From the beginning, BlackBerry has always focused on offering an exceptional typing experience that combines a great design with ergonomic excellence. We are flattered by the desire to graft our keyboard onto other smartphones, but we will not tolerate such activity without fair compensation for using our intellectual property and our technological innovations."

According to Time, Typo lawyers tried to use Blackberry's recent struggles against them, with no success. Essentially, they argued that Blackberry's noted decline lessened the impact of design infringement -- if, of course, such an offense was committed.

More people seem to be enamored with the Blackberry keyboard than Seacrest's product, which hasn't drawn the best reviews. (Time called the spacing between keys "squishy"). Still, the keyboard's celebrity backing and its recent publicity could spur something resembling a comeback if Typo wins its case or loses it but returns with a new design.

Below is a quote from the Wall Street Journal's Michael Humphrey, "waxing nostalgic" about the Blackberry keyboard.

"I am two generations into Android smartphones now, and they're fine," he wrote. "But here's an admission that might make me look my age: I still miss Blackberry. Not the OS (at all), so you might guess what: The keyboard."