Apparently Kodak's attorneys were having a little courtroom separation anxiety -- just a week after
settling that long-running patent case with Samsung, they've filed three separate actions against Apple and RIM. Two of the cases are based on the same patent at issue in the Samsung litigation: the first is an International Trade Commission complaint alleging that iPhones and BlackBerrys infringe the Kodak patent on previewing images, while the other is filed solely against Apple in the Western District of New York and also includes a patent on processing images at different resolutions. Apple's also the sole focus of the third case, which alleges infringement of several patents on computer programs calling to other programs -- sounds obvious, but Kodak's already enforced them against Sun in a 2004 case. Kodak says all it's after is fair license terms, and that it's not trying to push anything off the market -- the man with the gun always sounds so reasonable, doesn't he?
posted January 14th 2010 10:41AM
patents patents patents
@Acey
I really hope the patents described in the article are the ultra-summarized versions of said patents. I can understand having the rights to software and other intellectual property, but if these patents are this broad, this IP thing is been made into a joke.
Long live Europe where patents are illegal.
Europe = Consumer>Companies
America = Companies>Consumer
Oh wait.... they just did rise the VAT 2 weeks ago in the UK and we pay double the price for the "SAME" products that Americans buy.
@GoogleCEO It's a bit deceptive - you see your VAT in the advertised prices, whereas you don't see local sales tax in the US ones. Many areas here have sales taxes >10%, but since it's all a local matter, it's applied post-sale.
@GoogleCEO you mean SOFTWARE patents. not patents
@(Unverified)
You can easily avoid tax by ordering stuff online in America
Still even if you pay taxes things are much cheaper for example ipod touch 64gb cost 350$~ in usa right now while it cost 550$ in UK :(
@GoogleCEO
In Europe there most certainly are patents. Even patents for software are possible but the requirements for defining what can be patented are stricter. It has to solve a real 'technical problem' and you cannot patent a software implementation of a business process, etc.
@Acey
Hasn't Kodak gone out of business yet? Their Kodak Moment was over years ago.
@GoogleCEO In fairness the VAT raise was due to the VAT cut 12 months earlier. Although we do get screwed on the price of most things (It can't cost THAT much to ship it across a couple of oceans)
@AppleRoxTheHouse
Nope. Kodak is still doing alright.
@GoogleCEO
in China,
KIRF > Chuck Norris > Companies > Consumers
@hmmwv NO ONE is bigger than Chuck Norris. Not much time before Chuck Norris goes to China and does a Round House Kick to every chinese in the country.
Better start packing..
@AppleRoxTheHouse
you're kidding, right?
@GoogleCEO guess that makes it:
Government > Citizens (citizen-subjects, really)
I thought that Apple was all about respecting IP of others. WTF?!?
Good artists copy, great artists steal.
@Leindurstit
Stealing would land you in lawsuits.
@Bosco I imagine Steve Job's ways are catching up to him - hasn't he previously stated that they like to steal the best from others and incorporate it into their products?
@Leindurstit
Nice one !!! A memorable quote.
"Two of the cases are based on the same patent at issue in the Samsung litigation: the first is an International Trade Commission complaint alleging that iPhones and BlackBerrys infringe the Kodak patent on previewing images"
Are you freakin' kidding me?? A patent on previewing images?? FFS, can you patent anything?? I will now put a patent on taking a piss, I will be richer than Murdoch himself!
@Plazmic Flame
What. I already patented that. If you go ahead I will sue you and put an injunction so you can piss unless you pay me a licensing fee. LOL
@Leindurstit
Good lawyers copy, great lawyers steal.
@Plazmic Flame
didn't apple patent gesture? is gesture even patentable like people who do sign language have to gesture... of course anything is patentable here in the us
Kodak's still mad for having to pay a million Somalians the inventor of flexible film (that started their business in the first place) after they literally stole the formula from him and pretended they invented it. (Learned that researching a paper on the history of photojournalism technology in grad school.)
This patent nonsense has to stop.
@Leicaman
Doh! Dang spell checker! I didn't mean to imply they paid in slaves. :-P
Definitions of simoleons on the Web:
boodle: informal terms for money
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
@Leicaman
Going to have to disagree with you on that one my friend.
What a messed up patent system we have.
@Anatidae
OH NO YOUR APPLE IS GETTING SUED BY MULTIPLE COMPANIES, THAT MEANS THE PATENT SYSTEM IS MESSED UP.
Or how about it means apple is greedy and doesnt want to respect other patents.
Ah yes... the classic "screw the bad guys" fallacy. Of course it never occurs to you that next time it could be the "good guys" that end up bent over. Obvious BS should not be tolerated regardless of how much you love or hate the victim.
This sounds like something that could not possibly be patent worthy. If they successfully shake down Apple, then they can probably shake down everyone else too.
@Anatidae +1
I can not believe some of the crap that the patent office feels is patent worthy. Seriously, does every Point and Shoot camera in the universe have to license Kodak's preview tech to have an incorporated LCD? Screw patents!
@Troll I couldn't give a crap about Apple. In fact, some of the patents they have are bullshit too. Locking scrolling? Even multi-touch! Bullshit patents. I've been multi-touching things before Apple made computers.
A patent on previewing images on an LCD screen in a camera?! Come on. The future of technology is going to be hindered so greatly. Patents have become a rush-to-file like doman names were in the 90s. I am sure there are tons of pending patents on ideas people have seen in movies but the companies filing them don't have the know how, much less the desire, to ever build something. Then they get it approved and squat until someone actually builds a device then they sue. Or they sell early to a lawyer firm that specializes in patent crapping on companies.
I get the value of IP. The guy who actually built the multitouch tech - now that is a patent. But so much of the patent filing going on these days. A patent for an on-screen touch keyboard? WTF?
@Anatidae im totally with. patenting someone else' invention on multitouch is stupid. They patent the shape of date pickers, way images are copied to memory cards... Stupid, stupid
@Troll
Don't be an idiot, the patent system is messed up. If someone can have a damn patent on "previewing images", than god damn, you can have a patent on clicking an icon and really cash it. If you didn't catch the sarcasm, then you should probably shoot yourself.
@Anatidae you obviously do not understand the purpose of the patent system
@trunkafunk I get it, and I think a lot of patents make huge sense. A patent on one click shopping, that I think is messed up. A patent on how you use multitouch I don't agree with. The actual patents for the hardware to detect multitouch I totally agree with.
What I think is the patent system is way to broad and people are getting patents for ideas that would be just common sense. Like the on-screen keyboard. The fact that people have a patent for that is insane. It's like having a patent on an on-screen turning knob.
Sorry, I read so many stupid patent lawsuits that I fear that it is going to just halt innovation in technology before long. Only mega-corporation that hold the most patents will be able to bring a device to market. Today the patent system, once something to protect the small man from large corporations, is now used by large corporations to stifle the small guy.
RIM never should have settled with NTP, now everyone thinks they are an easy target.
The whole thing is just stupid.
If Kodak wants more money they should just go sell more cameras, memory cards and printers.
Is patent lawsuit an American thing?
@Kiwi No, its more of a Finnish custom.
@jordanbiffle
+1.
So kodak's new business is being a Patent Troll, Now their 35mm film bussiness is almost gone!
@OCEAN CLAK
it looks like their only revenue stream right now
@OCEAN CLAK
Didnt take long to get this post!
Apple rule #3456:
If a company sues Apple over patent infringement, they are doing so only because they are jealous of Apple's success and only want to get their money to prop up their "obvious" failing business. They are to be labeled as "patent trolls".
If Apple sues a company it's because they are protecting their hard earned innovations from horrible thieves. Under no circumstance are you to accuse them of being patent trolls.
@OCEAN CLAK Real patent trolls file in Texas! Kodak must believe this is a reasonable patent.
@LAY THANK YOU!
"Kodak says all it's after is fair license terms, and that it's not trying to push anything off the market -- the man with the gun always sounds so reasonable, doesn't he?"
Why shouldn't that be true? I'll eat a 35mm film if Kodak destroys Apple.
@LAY To be fair, showing a thumbnail image is a little broader than some of the more specific patents. Yes, they both deal with patents. Kodak pushing for it's excellent patented idea of showing a preview is a little lame, though.
Kodak is still in business?
There we go again, it's a good day to be an attorney
@DeviantmacG What happens when the lawsuit fails? Do the attorneys get compensated for that?
Just looks like Kodak is going to be one of those scum companies, willing to sue anyone to get some money so they can try to legitimize themselves as a company.
Kodak, come up with a good product again, and we may love you again.
@xfire0384
So Kodak, because you dont like their products, are forbidden from enforcing their patent rights?