Kodak invented the digital camera way back in 1975, but apparently they don’t think they’re getting paid for their work. Therefore, they’re suing both RIM and Apple for Patent Infringement:
The Kodak complaint, filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), specifically claims that Apple’s iPhones and RIM’s camera-enabled BlackBerry devices infringe a Kodak patent that covers technology related to a method for previewing images. Separately, Kodak filed two suits today against Apple in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York that claim the infringement of patents related to digital cameras and certain computer processes.
Kodak claims that they’ve tried to work on resolving this with both companies, but that’s failed so they’re left with no other choice than to sue. Given that they recently won a judgment in a similar ITC case against Samsung, and a similar lawsuit against Sun Microsystems back in 2004, they’ve got decent odds IMHO.
My take? It will go something like this:
- Lots of chest thumping possibly followed by the exchanging of threats, followed by a possible counter suit
- Undisclosed sums of money will then exchange hands followed by cross licensing agreements of some sort
- Lawyers will get rich
- Business as usual for consumers
In other words, the same thing that almost always happens in a case like this.