Nokia Bricks Phone Customization Project From Using ‘Notkia’ Name

Photo 113063248 © Péter Gudella | Dreamstime.com

Nothing is as resilient as Nokia’s 3310 “brick” or its IP protection. The phonemaker has threatened legal action on an open-source hacking project for using the moniker ‘Notkia’, and that is not kool by the books of the hacking community.

Notkia, launched by a creator who goes by the name Reimu NotMoe, isn’t a copycat model but a real Nokia 168x exterior with its guts rewired for enhanced privacy and hacking prowess.

The moment finally comes. The #NotKia, assembled. pic.twitter.com/YDvTwMRdoU

— @[email protected] (@ReimuNotMoe) May 31, 2022

The user embarked on the project in 2019 in hopes of developing a handset with open-source software and fewer restrictions than an Android smartphone, reports Vice’s Motherboard. The model was chosen for its spacious real-estate and Nokia 3310-like appearance.

While Nokia has been re-releasing some of its classics, the Nokia 168x—which debuted in 2008—has been discontinued for years.

That hasn’t stopped the company from emailing the creator with a warning that legal action may be taken should they continue to use the “confusingly similar” Notkia name. Nokia insisted that the derived branding could mislead people into thinking that Nokia and Notkia were related.

After reading the email from @Nokia one more time, I started to feel angry. This nothing more than a staged accident. Since this is already a collaborative project and contributed by people around the world, I'm going to release the complete email to its "intended recipients". https://t.co/ZJPTZcOLmC pic.twitter.com/jcUkVpWx5o

— @[email protected] (@ReimuNotMoe) June 30, 2022

NotMoe would have to remove all references to the Notkia name from their posts on online hardware-hacking community Hackaday, as well as cease all use of the moniker.

The developer has expressed bafflement about this letter, telling Motherboard that it’s not like “some random old grandmother” would purchase the Notkia, which is designed to be taken apart and rebuilt by the educated hands of techy folks.

While the creator bills the decision by Nokia as “highly illogical,” they’ve agreed to cave with a name change as they do not have the resources to put up a fight.

The title on the Hackaday project is now listed as: “Notkia (name change planned).” The page’s description also includes the text, “New name suggestions are welcomed.”

NotMoe adds that they’re calling off further plans to work on a Nokia E63 shell.

Compelled by the ongoings of this dispute, we’ve thought up other names you should stay away from to avoid future inconveniences: Nontendo, NAWSA, Bailenciaga, Huge Loss. Be careful out there.

[via Motherboard and Nokiamob.net, images via various soures]