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Apple, RIM Accused of Infringing Kodak’s Patents

January 14, 2010

Rochester - Camera maker Kodak Co. has filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc. and Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM) for allegedly infringing its patented technologies used in digital cameras.

In a complaint filed before the US International Trade Commission (USITC), Kodak said that Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s Blackberry smartphone have infringed its technology for previewing photos.

The lawsuit is also asking the federal agency to bar the defendants from importing the phones with built-in cameras which are said to have infringed Kodak’s photography patents.

Because USITC has no authority to decide on monetary damages, Kodak has filed a separate complaint before the US District Court in Rochester against Apple and RIM.

However, Kodak’s chief intellectual property officer Laura Quatela said the company “has no interest to disrupt the availability of the products [iPhone and BlackBerry] as it only wants to obtain fair compensation for the use of its patents.”

For the past several years, Kodak had tried to settle the dispute with the defendants but failed to reach an agreement.

Meanwhile, some analysts believe that this legal dispute will be settled by the companies through royalties as patent cases can take years to resolve.

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