Kodak, a company currently in Chapter 11, filed a complaint to the U.S. International Trade Commission in 2010 against Apple and Research in Motion, the creator of the dying mobile platform Blackberry. Kodak said the smartphone makers were infringing on their patent that allowed users to preview photos on digital cameras. And while it seemed likely for Kodak to win this round, they didn’t as the Trade Commission came to the conclusion last Friday that RIM and Apple were not violating this patent.
What does this mean for Kodak? Unfortunately, nothing good. Kodak is currently bankrupt and is trying to raise money by suing others for patent infringement. They are also having a patent auction, which is set to conclude next month. And since their photo preview patent is so important to them, they may not make as much as they’d like off of it as it can’t go anywhere in court.
If you’re unaware, Kodak was at one time a major film company that tried to make it in low priced consumer digital cameras and printers. In the end, they ultimately failed, where the smartphone industry and other camera manufacturers such as Canon and Panasonic have succeeded.
Image Credit: David Bilbo
Source: AllThingsD
