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Apple Seeks Bankruptcy Court's Blessing to Sue Kodak over Patents
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digital sensors, printers, paper, etc etc. Their printing division is still going - as are their films...
Many jobs in the upstate, NY area alone. Aside from Bausch & Lomb and Xerox, Kodak was a big player in Rochester. Many people worked for the company, and many Kodak and other business exec's traveled bet NYC and ROC as Kodak brought in business to the area. As for products, they were a big player in the digital camera market until mobile devices took over as the fastest growing digital film source due to major improvements in camera's. Unfortunately Kodak was one of the few companies that dug their heels in by refusing to outsource all of its products to China and other nations. I guess this is what patriotism gets you these days, bankruptcy. Due to this, they had little money for R&D and have been staving off bankruptcy for over a decade.
Now the University of Rochester and RIT are bringing in business into Rochester, N.Y., with U of R and URMC employing many with new construction of buildings/wings/research facilities and the higher education workforce along with it.
I never stated that, I do not know the specifics with regards to the lawsuits between Kodak and Apple. However, it is safe to assume with over $90 billion in cash reserves and Kodak trying to keep patents they can sell in order to pay off the [now unemployed] pensions and such of its low term employees, it seems more like a pissing contest than legitimate litigation. Apple is countersuing patents it claims were theirs (and why now?), and if they win Apple will gain little monetarily while taking away the livelihood of many. It's business, yes, I get it. I'm not a bleeding heart, but I also don't agree with it. Apple could easily walk away, whatever Kodak would get (if anything) would be a tear in a salty sea for Apple.
Aside from Kodak, how many other companies is Apple currently in litigation? I've lost count.
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Why would they "buy" patents they might have anyways? If Apple's arguments are true, these are not Kodak's patents to begin with.
Except: They started kicking first - just before they went down. This is a counter-suit... If it is true that they patneted IP gained during working on contract to develop something for Apple, this is rightfully not Kodak. IP created is owned by who paid for the work. There are tons of cases. One famous one was the Bratz inventor who allegdedly came up with the idea while working for Mattel. (Mattel lost finally in 2011 but just to illustrate the grounds) While it is hard to prove that the Bratz inventor worked on that during his work time, it is rather plausible that patents filed during developent for Apple originate from the project and since Apple paid the tab, it's theirs - at least so much for the argument. Courts will decide if that is true or not, but from a priciple view point, that is true.
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Good luck with that.
Please realize that if Apple were to not defend its intellectual property, the courts would give it away to those infringing upon it. Apple doesn't want to be the bad guy, but if it doesn't assert itself now, it won't be able to bring forth cases in the future. Lets say Apple brings up a case with Nikon or Canon over a digital camera patent years from now. The court might look at the case and ask, "well, Nikon and Canon is doing the same thing Kodak was doing, why didn't you take this up with Kodak at that time?". Your intellectual property becomes indefensible.
Apple (Kodak, partnered with) created the first consumer digital camera?!??
I know I'm sidestepping the article's intent, but did anyone realize this factoid (assuming Wikipedia is right)?? Never knew about the QuickTake in the mid-90s, and though it was a pretty crappy camera by today's standards, it was a leader indeed. The last couple days of Apple rumors have shown me how Apple has in fact been shaping today's computer-cell phone-tech market through all their old projects, and it is amazing.
As for the lawsuit: a lawsuit is a lawsuit is a lawsuit. It doesn't matter if a company is up or down or whatever. I do agree it would probably be a smarter move for Apple to buy Kodak and break it up, sell it off, and then wave the world-renowed trademark/logo for the highest bidder. Kodak could easily become the name of some thriving Korean or Japanese company looking for an identity, much like Phillips, Panasonic, Magnavox, Sharp and many other electronic companies sold out to the Japanese decades ago.
I know I'm sidestepping the article's intent, but did anyone realize this factoid (assuming Wikipedia is right)?? Never knew about the QuickTake in the mid-90s, and though it was a pretty crappy camera by today's standards, it was a leader indeed. The last couple days of Apple rumors have shown me how Apple has in fact been shaping today's computer-cell phone-tech market through all their old projects, and it is amazing.
As for the lawsuit: a lawsuit is a lawsuit is a lawsuit. It doesn't matter if a company is up or down or whatever. I do agree it would probably be a smarter move for Apple to buy Kodak and break it up, sell it off, and then wave the world-renowed trademark/logo for the highest bidder. Kodak could easily become the name of some thriving Korean or Japanese company looking for an identity, much like Phillips, Panasonic, Magnavox, Sharp and many other electronic companies sold out to the Japanese decades ago.
Or Apple could keep the name and use it. It's a good name to have, I would think, being rather iconic when it comes to photography.
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.
Apple is not asking for money. Apple is acting to prevent Kodak from selling or mortgaging Apple property. If the nice lady down the street was in bankruptcy and she decided to get some extra money by selling your house or taking a loan out on it, how would you react?
In reality, this lawsuit will be good for Kodak. As it is now, the ownership of the patents is not defined. Companies that think of purchasing them or using them to collateralize a loan will value them at a fraction of their worth, because, they will not know if they could be revoked. Clearing up ownership of the IP will give it more value, thus, if Kodak wins, give them more money.
Apple developed, with Kodak, one of the first digital camera, the QuickTake. One of Kodak's suit against Apple says they own that patent. Apple says they do. How the hell can't Apple respond?
I think it may be a move to protect Apple's interests - laying a claim so to speak before Kodak's IP is possibly snapped up by, or given to, someone else.
I'm tired and sick of all this - Apple put the focus inwards. As pointed out you could use you money and make something great out of Kodak - As a longtime photographer is sad to see how bad Kodak have been adapting to the digital world. Now they are on the knees and it too late to kick them if you don't need to!
Kodak may end up selling its IP (intellectual property) to someone at some point. If Google for example bought that IP and Apple hadn't defended its related patents when Kodak owned them then it might diminish Apple's ability to defend some of its rightful IP in the future.
By all means, if they're suing Apple. This is how lawyers negotiate. More money can be made off of each side this way.
^This, and also Kodak is filling chapter 11 which is basically reorganizing the company similar to GM, UAL, and others.
Did you read the first line of the article? Kodak is suing Apple and HTC as part of a last ditch effort to stay in business. Apple is suing them as part of their stance that the patents in question actually belong to Apple. If anything, it sounds like Apple let them go all these years. Seeing how Android makers are trying to sue Apple, they HAVE to be strong on all patent enforcement, or it's a defense for rip-off technology saying the stuff was pretty much public domain.
That's the same classroom example of why Disney has to crush any unauthorized use of Micky Mouse.... if they let some go, then it is seen as not big deal and public domain.
A weak public image is not good. Everyone plus their sister will start infringing on their IP if that happens.
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They didn't sue before because Kodak wasn't suing them. When someone else throws the first punch, you react in kind. The best defense is a strong offense.
Most of the responses here are ridiculous.
Kodak is dying because they were stupid.
They are suing apple and it may be a run at some bailout cash.
Apple's counter suit helps ensure that doesn't happen.
They aren't doing anything wrong, and Kodak has been run by absolute morons.
Kodak is dying because they were stupid.
They are suing apple and it may be a run at some bailout cash.
Apple's counter suit helps ensure that doesn't happen.
They aren't doing anything wrong, and Kodak has been run by absolute morons.
Kodak continues to be a leader in producing digital lithographic printing plates for many years. They're used for printing most books, catalogs, and magazines.
Ok. They developed with Kodak. That means there is legal validity to who owns patents related to the development of digital photography.
Kodak is suing Apple for rights to related patents, and it may seem they have just as much claim as Apple. However, Kodak is bankrupt and is trying to sell what it can in order to follow through with the pensions and salaries of many families in the Rochester, NY area who may be facing serious bankruptcy issues of their own (and I am not even touching the comment about someone selling things from my home, that's ludicrous as there is validity to Kodak's claims as there is with Apple's, the courts need to decide at this point).
I'm all for the free market and capitalism, however at some point there is a line. Apple could easily make arrangements with Kodak regarding these patent suits, both companies can walk away happy. This seems more about pride than copyright infringement. Apple has BILLIONS, if they walk away with money Kodak could use to keep many families from having to worry about their retirement I would give them serious credit for actually caring about the country it is founded in.
Yes, I am speaking subjectively, I am emotionally invested in this matter as I know people related to Kodak who will suffer/are suffering from this matter. I understand counter-arguments, and I realize that if I were not emotionally invested I would be arguing against my own stance. However, I can not.
Apple has nothing to do with the demise of Kodak. They are not taking cash from them. They didn't seem to care about it while Kodak was solvent, but now it's a risky future. Apple has to protect its IP. Kodak looks like they will sell off a lot of IP for quick cash. Like other people said, it would be easy for somebody like Samsung to buy them and just fuel the pissing contest going on there.
As for Kodak, they never really evolved from their days of trying to make film proprietary. I still have some old 16mm movie film cartridges that say "property of Kodak". You were intended to only buy their film in the patented cartridge, and only have them process it. I don't think they adapted to losing that kind of stranglehold on the market when everything went digital.
Don't get me wrong, they made great film, but.... it's 2012. That market is limited professional use, and retro hobbyists.