Apple and Google Teaming Up on $500 Million Bid for Kodak Patents

[MacRumors]

Bloomberg reports that Apple and Google have joined forces to put forward a bid of more than $500 million to purchase the patent portfolio of bankrupt imaging pioneer Eastman Kodak.

The two companies, competing for dominance of the smartphone market, have partnered after leading two separate consortia this summer to buy Kodak's 1,100 imaging patents, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the process is private.

Unlikely partnerships are typical in patent sales because they allow competitors to neutralize potential infringement litigation.

Sources indicate that Apple had originally teamed up with Microsoft and patent holding company Intellectual Ventures, while Google had aligned with its hardware partners and patent holding firm RPX.

The report does not indicate why Apple and Google ultimately decided to abandon their separate bids and team up on an offer for Kodak's patents, although a previous report had indicated that the two sides were likely cooperating in order to prevent a bidding war that would drive up the cost of the patents.

Kodak's bankruptcy financing is contingent upon the company receiving at least $500 million for its patent portfolio, and the joint bid by Apple and Google seems to meet that requirement.

Apple and Kodak have a bit of an interesting history, having worked together on a mid-1990s project for Apple's QuickTake line of digital cameras. The intellectual property from that collaboration has been the subject of some dispute, with Apple claiming that Kodak is not the rightful owner of patents related to that work.

Article Link: Apple and Google Teaming Up on $500 Million Bid for Kodak Patents

[gotluck]

cooperation?

[kdarling]

Excellent.

Thermonuclear friendship.

[Ichabod.]

Interesting, I wonder if Kodak was sitting on anything 'new', or if the patents are all just sources of income from licensing.

I guess nothing will change if the latter is true.

[kbt1020]

Someone, please slap me hard and wake me up... Is this reality?

[jwdsail]

Originally Posted by gotluck

cooperation?

I believe Darrell Waltrip would say "Coopetition" ;-)

[mr jnvii]

Sad to see Kodak go

[AppleScruff1]

Originally Posted by mr jnvii

Sad to see Kodak go

I have to agree, it is sad. In so many ways, Kodak is photography.

[thekev]

Originally Posted by kdarling

Excellent.

Thermonuclear friendship.

I'm now tempted to combine images of explosions with rainbows and ponies.

[petsounds]

I used an Apple QuickTake 100 in college (worked at a campus computer store) to take photos of a few rock shows. It was one of the first digital cameras, and it did NOT take good pictures. The convenience/quality tradeoff wasn't there, and the whole digital ecosystem didn't really exist for general usage yet. Ahead of its time, but very flawed. I wasn't aware these Kodak patents centered around that piece of junk.

[macs4nw]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

.....The report does not indicate why Apple and Google ultimately decided to abandon their separate bids and team up on an offer for Kodak's patents, although a previous report had indicated that the two sides were likely cooperating in order to prevent a bidding war that would drive up the cost of the patents.....
Article Link: Apple and Google Teaming Up on $500 Million Bid for Kodak Patents

A strategic love-hate relationship that will give each side leverage against each other, and more importantly, against others with whom they may be embroiled in legal patent wrangling. No matter how you look at it, a win-win for both GOOGLE and APPLE.

[Since 1984]

Originally Posted by mr jnvii

Sad to see Kodak go

No sad at all. Although the digital research and innovation were integral to the development of those technologies, most everything else they was sub-standard or plain bad: color paper that was just garbage, consumer film that was grainy, professional film with poor contrast and color fidelity, consumer electronics that were out of date before they hit the market, etc

The only exceptions were Eastman motion picture films which were outstanding.

The demise of Kodak is a warning for Apple: innovate quality or die!

[osaga]

They just want the color patent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZpaNJqF4po

[Pyrrhic Victory]

Originally Posted by gotluck

cooperation?

More like collusion.

[Negritude]

Apple and Google
Sittin' in a tree
In-te-llectual pro-per-ty

[mabaker]

Google has no right even to bid on these patents. Apple and Kodak invented the digital camera and now Google shall have Apple's hard work just like that? Patent system is really broken.

[kimlo]

It's a Kodak moment.

[Oletros]

Originally Posted by mabaker

Google has no right even to bid on these patents. Apple and Kodak invented the digital camera and now Google shall have Apple's hard work just like that? Patent system is really broken.

Are you saying that Apple didn't had the right to bid for Nortel patents?

[bushido]

pathetic ... this is exactly the reason why software patents in its current form suck

[Greg.]

Originally Posted by mabaker

Google has no right even to bid on these patents. Apple and Kodak invented the digital camera and now Google shall have Apple's hard work just like that? Patent system is really broken.

Pipe down fanboy.

[Lesser Evets]

I purchased one of those Koday HD cameras a year ago. It's called a PlaySport or something like that. Excellent device. Was only $60 at Sam's Club, and it's worth twice every penny.

It's bizarre to see Kodak fail. They were ubiquitous with photography.

[gnasher729]

Originally Posted by Pyrrhic Victory

More like collusion.

Apple doesn't really _want_ these patents, all they want is not getting sued by Google or anyone else. And Google doesn't really _want_ these patents, all they want is not getting sued by Apple or anyone else. Since there is an obvious way how they can both achieve what they want at a relatively low price, instead of getting in a bidding war in which one achieves what they want at a much too high cost, and the other loses out, it would be outright stupidity not to team up.

Kodak will get what the patents are worth, and not more. If someone thinks they are worth more than $500 million, they can bid.

Originally Posted by mabaker

Google has no right even to bid on these patents. Apple and Kodak invented the digital camera and now Google shall have Apple's hard work just like that? Patent system is really broken.

Here is your problem: I bet you don't make underwear. I bet you don't make trousers, shirts, socks, or shoes. So obviously you don't have any right to buy any of these and have to run around naked for the rest of your life.

[kalsta]

Originally Posted by Since 1984

No sad at all. Although the digital research and innovation were integral to the development of those technologies, most everything else they was sub-standard or plain bad: color paper that was just garbage, consumer film that was grainy, professional film with poor contrast and color fidelity, consumer electronics that were out of date before they hit the market, etc

Kodak made mistakes in recent years, obviously, or this wouldn't have happened. People are still allowed to feel sad about the fall of a great company with such a long and proud history. It's a history a lot older than you, and your subjective view of a handful of recent products.

[Sean4000]

I've been a photographer for years and man this is certainly sad indeed. I didn't think I would see Kodak worth more dead than alive. Hope apple and google put the patents to good use.

[mmcc]

"Sources indicate that Apple had originally teamed up with Microsoft and patent holding company Intellectual Ventures..."

This makes me ill. Intellectual Ventures is the parent of a 1000+ patent-trolling, shell companies including the infamous Lodsys.

Apple was teamed up with a company that is ultimately responsible for a patent troll that is shaking down its own developers for money.

Simply sickening.