Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,290
30,375



With Kodak having filed last-minute patent lawsuits against Apple and HTC as it was heading into bankruptcy last month, Bloomberg reports that Apple is looking to assert itself against the pioneering photography company with a new lawsuit alleging infringement of Apple-held patents.

apple_old_kodak_logos.jpg



While Apple says in its filing with the bankruptcy court overseeing Kodak's case that it is not required to seek approval for a lawsuit, Apple notes that it is requesting the court's blessing "out of an abundance of caution".
Apple Inc. asked a bankruptcy judge for permission to sue Eastman Kodak Co. over allegations it's infringing patents that Apple says cover technologies used in printers, digital cameras and digital picture frames. [...]

While arguing bankruptcy law doesn't prevent the filing of infringement suits against a company in court protection, "Apple requests express authority from this court before it initiates the actions out of an abundance of caution," the company's lawyers wrote in the filing.
In a separate case, Apple has been contending that it is the rightful owner of a patent currently held by Kodak. Apple claims that through its partnership with Kodak to produce QuickTake digital cameras during the mid-1990s, Kodak misappropriated intellectual property involved in the project and patented it for itself.

quicktake_100.jpg



Apple QuickTake 100, manufactured by Kodak (Source: Time)
Apple last month filed a petition with Kodak's bankruptcy court requesting that Kodak not be permitted to use the disputed patent to secure loans supporting the company's restructuring until ownership of the patent is resolved. The U.S. International Trade Commission has preliminarily rejected Apple's ownership claims, but the case and a parallel federal lawsuit remain pending.

Article Link: Apple Seeks Bankruptcy Court's Blessing to Sue Kodak over Patents
 

daverso

macrumors regular
Sep 5, 2007
118
222
didn't Tim Cook just say they had a more cash than they need, or something like that?
 

wikus

macrumors 68000
Jun 1, 2011
1,795
2
Planet earth.
That is low.

I thought with the absence of steve jobs apple would become less of a douchey company, but its actually gotten worse.

nice to see apple turn into everything it was against.

steve_bigbrother_jobs.jpg
 

justanothernerd

macrumors member
Apr 25, 2008
82
0
didn't Tim Cook just say they had a more cash than they need, or something like that?

It makes sense to me -- Apple has to always maintain a strong image that they take patent litigation seriously, no matter the company involved. If other companies get the idea that they can sue apple and apple won't fight back because they have "more cash than they need", it would become a much bigger problem for them. My guess is that this is as much a defensive move as it is an offensive one.
 

allmIne

macrumors 6502a
Sep 17, 2008
771
0
United Kingdom
It's as well most consumers don't give a toss about this sort of thing.

Apple would have went down in many estimations a long time ago.
 

Spock

macrumors 68040
Jan 6, 2002
3,398
7,141
Vulcan
Apple should just buyout Kodak, discontinue the entire line, consume all patents and sell the name. Done.
 

HBOC

macrumors 68020
Oct 14, 2008
2,497
234
SLC
Kick them when they're down.

My first reaction :)

It makes sense to me -- Apple has to always maintain a strong image that they take patent litigation seriously, no matter the company involved. If other companies get the idea that they can sue apple and apple won't fight back because they have "more cash than they need", it would become a much bigger problem for them. My guess is that this is as much a defensive move as it is an offensive one.

This does make sense. Just because they (Kodak) filed bankruptcy doesn't negate anything.
 

spazzcat

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2007
3,620
4,592
At this point, why not just buy the patents out right? Note: honest question as I don't know how much they go for.

If the courts liquidate them, Apple will have a chance to do that, until then Apple can't just buy them.
 

840quadra

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 1, 2005
9,254
5,966
Twin Cities Minnesota
It comes to the point where I wonder if the PR department at Apple is starting to ask for some of these Lawsuits to stop. I understand that protecting the IP is definitely important, however are they factoring in the potential cost to their public image?
 

3282868

macrumors 603
Jan 8, 2009
5,281
0
How many lawsuits is AAPL currently juggling??? This is absurd. Having been from Rochester, NY I can tell you that the effects of Kodak's closing is horrendous on an already depressed economy. It's business, certainly, but why didn't AAPL sue before if this was an issue? Why now? Why at all???
 

spazzcat

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2007
3,620
4,592
It comes to the point where I wonder if the PR department at Apple is starting to ask for some of these Lawsuits to stop. I understand that protecting the IP is definitely important, however are they factoring in the potential cost to their public image?

I guess you didn't see their results last quarter? I would say 99% of their customers don't know or care about lawsuits...
 

lilsoccakid74

macrumors 6502
Apr 13, 2010
282
0
As a student who has lived his whole life in Rochester NY, location of Kodaks roots, it is sad to see this. While growing up, over half of my friends parents worked at Kodak, and my father was a Sr. Process Development Engineer for 30 years. We are the first generation from Rochester who won't be able to rely on Kodak for a career. :(

Let them be apple.
 

gnasher729

Suspended
Nov 25, 2005
17,980
5,565
Kick them when they're down.

I think Kodak has been suing Apple in the past, and is trying to use bankruptcy protection to avoid being countersued. In addition, if Apple does actually have the rights to this patent, then allowing Kodak to borrow money against the value of the patent, or to sell it, would create a really messy situation.
 

spazzcat

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2007
3,620
4,592
How many lawsuits is AAPL currently juggling??? This is absurd. Having been from Rochester, NY I can tell you that the effects of Kodak's closing is horrendous on an already depressed economy. It's business, certainly, but why didn't AAPL sue before if this was an issue? Why now? Why at all???

Has Kodak really created anything in the last 10 years???
 

jkichline

macrumors 6502
Aug 25, 2010
362
190
The reason...

The reason why Apple is asking if they can sue is because Kodak, while in bankruptcy, is still suing Apple. If you were concerned about your financial affairs, you wouldn't continue an expensive legal battle and Apple needs to defend it's patents regardless. It's just that Apple is asking if that's ok today so they are at least giving Kodak a chance to back off since they are in bankruptcy.
 

Sofabutt

macrumors member
Oct 29, 2007
92
17
Apple is ******** on its own good reputation.

I left microsofts windows years ago for the same bad reputation apple is earning for itself nowadays.


Looks like the future is Linux or qnx
 

emaja

macrumors 68000
May 3, 2005
1,706
11
Chicago, IL
Can we change the name of this website to "AppleLawsuits.com"?

With all the litigation, I feel like it at least deserves its own sub-forum or tab at the top.

:p
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.