Apple, Google, and Samsung Teaming Up in Effort to Acquire Kodak Patents

[MacRumors]

Following last month's report that Apple and Google were heading up separate consortiums bidding to obtain Kodak's portfolio of digital imaging patents, The Wall Street Journal now reports that the two camps may surprisingly be joining the same team. The negotiations are reportedly seeing Apple joining forces with its courtroom foes Samsung and HTC, as well as smartphone platform rival Google, in an effort to obtain the patents for a price well below that sought by Kodak.

The bidding group brings together a raft of strange bedfellows. It includes Apple Inc. and Google Inc., fierce competitors in the global smartphone market. It also includes Intellectual Ventures Management LLC, which buys up patents to seek licensing revenue and increasingly sue other companies for infringement, and RPX Corp., which buys patents to keep them from being used against its members in suits. [...]

People familiar with the matter said the consortium bidding on Kodak's patents also includes Samsung Electronics Co., LG Electronics Inc. and HTC Corp., all companies building smartphones based on Google software.

The report notes that the large consortium of competitors is seeking to purchase Kodak's patent portfolio for "more than $500 million", above opening bids but well below the $2.2-$2.6 billion Kodak has been hoping to win. A win by the consortium could help prevent litigation over the patents by keeping them out of the hands of a single company, but antitrust regulators could raise complaints over the move.

As a result of the volatile negotiations, Kodak has extended bidding several times and has indicated that may end up pulling some or all of its patents from the auction block if pricing is not in line with what it feels it needs to assist with its bankruptcy issues.

Article Link: Apple, Google, and Samsung Teaming Up in Effort to Acquire Kodak Patents

[whooleytoo]

Apple, Google and Samsung teaming up? The end of the world is nigh people. Grab the one you love and hold on tight...

[RebelScum]

Apple gets the Kodak patents every Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Google gets them Tues, Thurs and Sat

Samsung gets Sunday and should consider itself lucky.

[DakotaGuy]

Originally Posted by whooleytoo

Apple, Google and Samsung teaming up? The end of the world is nigh people. Grab the one you love and hold on tight...

This is exactly why I think a lot of the lawsuits against Samsung and Apple's harsh words against Google is just for show. They want to get everyone worked up and make drama because that creates interest and sells products, but they need Samsung and Google. Samsung to provide components for their products and Google to provide certain services for the products.

They quickly become friendly again when something like this comes up. Don't believe Steve's last words about wanting to destroy Android... He just said that because it gets all the Apple people worked up and energized.

[Compile 'em all]

My reaction when I saw the headline

[miles01110]

...but how will they sue each other if they're all on the same team?

[iLikeTurtles!]

i rmember when kodak was the sh-.it

now....not so much lol

[Geckotek]

I find it interesting how these companies are able to operate in different spheres. In one instance they are bitterly suing each other and in another they are buddy buddy.

Speaking of buddies, mine use to work in sales for Samsung. He always found it interesting how they navigated the sales of their product to Apple and to another division of Samsung that competes with Apple. Sometimes the deals had to be very hush hush within their own company to keep from pissing people off.

"What?!? You sold all those thingamajigs I need for my device to Apple already?!?! For how much!??!"

Edit: The REAL question is, who gets the fissile material?

[spazzcat]

Originally Posted by miles01110

...but how will they sue each other if they're all on the same team?

I think that is the point of them coming together, so no one can sue over these. I wouldn't be surprised if they let some of the go public domain.

[AfzalivE]

:/

Truly the only interest for these companies is money, like any sane business.

[illitrate23]

Intellectual Ventures Management

best way to avoid being patent-trolled is to join up with a patent troll when buying the patents

[jav6454]

Originally Posted by RebelScum

Apple gets the Kodak patents every Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Google gets them Tues, Thurs and Sat

Samsung gets Sunday and should consider itself lucky.

This made me laugh... On a more serious point, this is certainly an interesting turn of events.

[Swordylove]

It also includes Intellectual Ventures Management LLC, which buys up patents to seek licensing revenue and increasingly sue other companies for infringement, and RPX Corp., which buys patents to keep them from being used against its members in suits.

*SMH* THIS is the reason patents should NOT be transferable. Patents are supposed to protect IPs, not to be traded as a business on its own!

[lifeinhd]

I was wondering why they didn't just do this. Much cheaper than having a bidding war.

[Chumburro2U]

Keep your friends close, but keep your enemy's closer?

[Joe-Diver]

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

[ChristianJapan]

Ah, that would be nice. Less news talking about "who's sue who" ...
A very wise move from all participants.

[Gemütlichkeit]

The hipster side of me is sad to see a company like Kodak go under. They were kings when I was growing up.

[Ay_Zimmy]

Teaming up as in.. Lets share the patents. Because none of us created them.

[Fruit Cake]

It's a Kodak moment.

[Rodimus Prime]

I think they are teaming up to 1 get them cheaper and to make damn sure the trolls do not get it.

[BJMRamage]

Seems odd but I guess the idea is nobody on the buying front created these patents…if they slipped into enemy hands it could means disaster. So team up and purchase these and spread throughout the village.

HOWEVER, this is not like the current War on Patents where a company created them and is now Fighting to Control who uses them and how.

Much better to agree early on then have to litigate.

[DakotaGuy]

Originally Posted by Gemütlichkeit

The hipster side of me is sad to see a company like Kodak go under. They were kings when I was growing up.

The reason Kodak is a shell of it's former self today is because they stuck with film for too long. The funny thing is they invented the digital camera and if they would have thrown everything they had into digital and moved quicker they could have been a force to be reckoned with today. Instead they kept milking film for as long as they could and in the end everyone else ran off with the digital technology.

Kodak will emerge from bankruptcy as a small company with a focus on printing. I predict soon after they emerge they will be purchased by a much larger technology company and that will be it for the brand except for some brand licensing deals. It's sad to see an iconic American company go down like this, but that is how it goes. Remember it can happen to anyone who decides to rest on their laurels. Where will Apple be in 25 years? Who knows.

[iEvolution]

"It also includes Intellectual Ventures Management LLC, which buys up patents to seek licensing revenue and increasingly sue other companies for infringement"

What a great company those guys are, a business model built upon hoarding other companies ideas and suing anyone that actually uses them.

[alent1234]

Originally Posted by iEvolution

"It also includes Intellectual Ventures Management LLC, which buys up patents to seek licensing revenue and increasingly sue other companies for infringement"

What a great company those guys are, a business model built upon hoarding other companies ideas and suing anyone that actually uses them.

google, apple, MS, cisco and almost every other big tech company is a partner and investor in IVM

patent lawsuits like this have taken place all the time. the guy who started IVM just realized that tech was maturing and was due to have patents become very valuable