The patent at issue relates to a technology invented by Kodak for previewing images on a digital camera-enabled device. This particular Kodak patent was recently confirmed as valid by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The final decision in this case, based on the deliberation of the full ITC Commission, is expected by May 23.
Kodak initially filed an ITC complaint against Apple and RIM on January 14, 2010, asserting that Apple’s iPhones and RIM’s camera-enabled Blackberry devices infringe a Kodak patent covering technology related to a method for previewing images. Kodak also has Federal Court actions pending against RIM and Apple in the Northern District of Texas and in the Western District of New York, where this same issue will be adjudicated. Kodak has licensed its imaging patents, including the one at issue in the case currently before the ITC, to numerous leading technology companies including: LG, MEI/Panasonic, Motorola, Nokia, Olympus, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony, and Sony Ericsson.