14 DAY TRIAL // Eastman Kodak Company (Kodak) has recently announced that it has filed lawsuits against Apple and BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion Limited (RIM), alleging the infringement of digital imaging technology invented by the company specializing in photography.
Kodak claims to have licensed digital imaging technology to approximately 30 companies, including LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson, all of which are royalty bearing to Kodak. The company has revealed in a report that it is seeking to permanently enjoin Apple from further infringement as well as unspecified damages, in both District Court actions against the Mac maker.
Filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), the complaint claims that Apple’s iPhones infringe a Kodak patent that covers technology related to a method for previewing images. The same goes for RIM’s camera-enabled BlackBerry devices. Apple allegedly also infringes Kodak patents related to digital cameras and certain computer processes. Because of this, Kodak filed two separate suits Against the Mac maker in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York.
“Kodak has a long history of digital imaging innovation and we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars creating our industry-leading patent portfolio,” Laura G. Quatela, chief intellectual property officer, and vice president, Eastman Kodak Company, said. “In the case of Apple and RIM, we’ve had discussions for years with both companies in an attempt to resolve this issue amicably, and we have not been able to reach a satisfactory agreement. In light of that, we are taking this action to ensure that we protect the interests of our shareholders and the existing licensees of our technology.”
“Our primary interest is not to disrupt the availability of any product but to obtain fair compensation for the use of our technology,” Quatela said. “There’s a basic issue of fairness that needs to be addressed. Those devices use Kodak technology, and we are merely seeking compensation for the use of our technology in their products.”
“We remain open to negotiating a fair and amicable agreement with both Apple and RIM, which has always been our preference and our practice with other licensees,” Quatela added. “We seek to avoid litigation in our licensing programs whenever possible. But when the infringement is persistent, we will act to defend the interests of our shareholders and licensees, and to promote the fair compensation that is the bedrock of innovation.”