14 DAY TRIAL // It would seem that new antitrust lawsuits are not the only developments sprouting up during the holidays, as certain companies, like NEC and Kodak, also took the opportunity to establish other types of relationships.
It would seem that, once again, two companies in the IT industry decided it was time to set up a mutually beneficial collaboration.
This may not exactly come out as a surprise, but it is an arguably welcome change from all the new lawsuits that have started recently.
For instance, not long ago, a certain Hybrid Audio LLC sued HTC, Apple and Dell over patent infringement.
Meanwhile, older cases seem to be progressing at a fairly slow pace, even though the one dealing with the LCD price fixing did manage to get to the part where those involved got fined.
All in all, as if on cue, companies ironically started to sue each other more frequently the closer the winter holidays got.
Now, Kodak and NEC, instead of arguing with each other, have joined hands in order to more easily advance in their research and development efforts.
Simply put, they have signed a technology license agreement through which both will have full access to the other's portfolio.
“We are pleased to have reached a mutually beneficial arrangement that advances the interests of Kodak and of NEC,” said Laura G. Quatela, Chief Intellectual Property Officer, and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company.
“The cross-license agreement provides each company access to the other’s technology, and validates the strength of Kodak’s intellectual property portfolio,” she added.
The exact terms of the deal were not made public, which is not all that surprising, but the official announcement did mention that it was royalty bearing to Kodak.
What remains to be seen is how they manage to build upon each other's technology and how long it will be before actual products start showing up on the market.