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The Eastman Kodak Company announced Thursday that it has filed lawsuits with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) against Apple and Research in Motion, alleging patent infringement pertained to its digital camera technologies. The lawsuit has alleged that camera-enabled smartphones from RIM and Apple infringe its technologies related to previewing images.
The company filed two separate lawsuits against Apple in the US District Court for the Western District of New York, claiming that the iPhone is using Kodak’s patented technologies related to digital cameras and “certain computer processes.” Kodak warned that over 30 companies had licensed those technologies on a royalty-basis, including Motorola, Nokia, LG, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson.
Kodak’s intellectual property chief and vice president Laura G. Quatela said in a statement that Kodak “had discussions” with both Apple and RIM for years but it has not been able to reach a “satisfactory agreement,” prompting the company to file sue and seek compensation:
Rochester, New York-based Eastman Kodak Company had begun as a manufacturer of imaging and photographic equipment and materials, but later expanded into digital photography and digital printing. The company is known for inventing the digital camera in 1975.
The company filed two separate lawsuits against Apple in the US District Court for the Western District of New York, claiming that the iPhone is using Kodak’s patented technologies related to digital cameras and “certain computer processes.” Kodak warned that over 30 companies had licensed those technologies on a royalty-basis, including Motorola, Nokia, LG, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson.
Kodak’s intellectual property chief and vice president Laura G. Quatela said in a statement that Kodak “had discussions” with both Apple and RIM for years but it has not been able to reach a “satisfactory agreement,” prompting the company to file sue and seek compensation:
Our primary interest is not to disrupt the availability of any product but to obtain fair compensation for the use of our technology. 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.
This is the second major lawsuit that a multinational corporation filed against Apple in regard to patent infringement. Late October 2009 Nokia sued Apple for breaching a bunch of its patents that cover GSM, UMTS, and LAN (WLAN) standards. A month later Apple fired back and countersued Nokia, claiming that the world’s leading cellphone maker is infringing 13 Apple patents, provoking Nokia to include iPods and Macs in its lawsuit as well. In addition, the Finnish firm is asking that Apple be ordered to stop importing “virtually all” its products into the US until its lawsuit is resolved.
Rochester, New York-based Eastman Kodak Company had begun as a manufacturer of imaging and photographic equipment and materials, but later expanded into digital photography and digital printing. The company is known for inventing the digital camera in 1975.
