Kodak selling OLED display business to LG, cross-licensing like there's no tomorrow
By Paul Miller 
posted December 4th 2009 10:20AM
posted December 4th 2009 10:20AM
It was always hard to comprehend Kodak as a display technology company while maintaining a zero presence in the TV or monitor industry, and now, after developing the first OLED material way back in the 70s and plenty of beautiful displays since, Kodak is getting out of the OLED game. They're selling to LG, who first inked a deal with Kodak back in March for using Kodak technology, just started selling a 15-inch OLED in November, and hopes to have a 30-inch display out by 2012. Kodak calls its IP portfolio for OLED "fundamental," so even if this doesn't speed up LG's time to market, it might give it some significant cost advantages in the long run. Speaking of patents, Kodak and LG have also entered into a "broad" cross-license agreement to dip into each other's patent portfolios, and the two companies could last be seen skipping merrily, hand-in-hand into the sunset.
wow..I didn't even know they were in the market to that extent.
@southern78
1970 ??
"Founded in 1892"
i, for one, can't wait until the 30" OLED tv hits shelves in 2012. i've already begun saving every extra dollar i can. hopefully i'll be able to afford the down payment.
Cool, now all the big companies have a foot in OLED, long live competition and affordable prices.
Another home-grown technology gets sold to a foreign company for short-term gains, but at much higher long-term costs to the company, and the nation as a whole.
Congrats Kodak. :rolleyes:
I'm surprised Kodak hasn't been bought by Nikon, Sony, etc.
I'm banging my head against the wall over this one. Why? Why? Why? The way I see it, the ONLY thing Kodak had going for it to make a profit in the future was their OLED business, and now they're selling it? Their film business is going out of business and once things like the RED camera and other digital cameras start becoming more commonplace in Hollywood, they're really going to take a beating. Their camera's are half-a$$ed designed and put together. They have some decent products, but nothing that any other company couldn't easily copy and one-up them on. OLED was their ace in the hole and they just tossed it away. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
That's because Kodak doesn't want to make monitors or flat panels just the camera business... Short sighted CEO
With today's announcement by Kodak that their fourth quarter "digital revenue" was up 12% you now see why they needed to sell OLED. It essentially bought senior management another year. The reason people didn't understand this move is because they weren't thinking like Kodak senior management. It's not about the future of Kodak. It's about the future of their careers... which only has to be a few more years. This move was much like you selling your furniture to pay your mortgage in order to get another loan from your bank Notice at mid day, Kodak stock is up 17% so someone bought it !!