The patents being asserted against Apple and HTC include:
- U.S. Patent No. 7,210,161 - "Automatically Transmitting Images from an Electronic Camera to a Service Provider Using a Network Configuration File"
- U.S. Patent No. 7,742,084 - "Network Configuration File for Automatically Transmitting Images from an Electronic Still Camera"
- U.S. Patent No. 7,453,605 - "Capturing Digital Images to be Transferred to an E-Mail Address"
- U.S. Patent No. 7,936,391 - "Digital Camera with Communications Interface for Selectively Transmitting Images over a Cellular Phone Network and a Wireless LAN Network to a Destination"
The complaints against HTC also assert infringement of:
- U.S. Patent No. 6,292,218 (“Electronic Camera for Initiating Capture of Still Images While Previewing Motion Images”), which is the same patent at issue in the pending ITC action initiated by Kodak in January 2010 against Apple and Research In Motion Limited.
The complaint against Fuji alleges infringement of the following five patents:
- U.S. Patent No. 5,493,335 (“Single Sensor Color Camera With User Selectable Image Record Size”)
- U.S. Patent No. 6,292,218 (“Electronic Camera For Initiating Capture of Still Images While Previewing Motion Images”)
- U.S. Patent No. 6,573,927 (“Electronic Still Camera For Capturing Digital Image and Creating a Print Order”)
- U.S. Patent No. 6,441,854 (“Electronic Camera With Quick Review of Last Captured Image”)
- U.S. Patent No. 5,164,831 ( “Electronic Still Camera Providing Multi-Format Storage of Full and Reduced Resolution Images”)
The complaint against Samsung alleges infringement of the following five patents:
- U.S. Patent No. 6,292,218 – “Electronic Camera For Initiating Capture of Still Images While Previewing Motion Images”
- U.S. Patent No. 7,210,161 – “Automatically Transmitting Images from an Electronic Camera to a Service Provider Using a Network Configuration File”
- U.S. Patent No. 7,742,084 – “Network Configuration File for Automatically Transmitting Images from an Electronic Still Camera”
- U.S. Patent No. 7,453,605 – “Capturing Digital Images to be Transferred to an E-Mail Address”
- U.S. Patent No. 7,936,391 – “Digital Camera with Communications Interface for Selectively Transmitting Images over a Cellular Phone Network and a Wireless LAN Network to a Destination”
“Kodak has a long history of digital imaging innovation and we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars creating our industry-leading patent portfolio,” said Laura G. Quatela, Chief Intellectual Property Officer, and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company. “In the case of Apple and RIM, we’ve had discussions for years with both companies in an attempt to resolve this issue amicably, and we have not been able to reach a satisfactory agreement. In light of that, we are taking this action to ensure that we protect the interests of our shareholders and the existing licensees of our technology.
On Dec. 17 2010, in an action involving Samsung and Kodak, an ITC Administrative Law Judge issued a ruling declaring that the Kodak patent covering color image preview (No. 6,292,218) was valid and enforceable, and that Samsung’s camera-enabled mobile devices infringed upon that Kodak patent.
In the complaint against Apple and RIM, Kodak is seeking from the ITC a limited exclusion order preventing the importation of infringing devices, including certain mobile telephones and wireless communication devices featuring digital cameras.
In the first suit against Apple in U.S. District Court, Kodak alleges infringement of two patents generally covering image preview and the processing of images of different resolutions. In the second suit, Kodak alleges infringement of patents that describe a method by which a computer program can “ask for help” from another application to carry out certain computer-oriented functions. The allegations in the second suit apply to any Apple product that uses the processing method described above. The patents at issue in the second suit were previously the subject of litigation between Kodak and Sun Microsystems Inc., and in that case, a federal jury determined in a 2004 trial that Sun’s Java programming technology had infringed the patents. Kodak later settled the suit by agreeing to a payment from Sun in return for a license for the patents at issue.
In both District Court actions against Apple, Kodak is seeking to permanently enjoin Apple from further infringement as well as unspecified damages.
“We remain open to negotiating a fair and amicable agreement with both Apple and RIM, which has always been our preference and our practice with other licensees,” Quatela said. “We seek to avoid litigation in our licensing programs whenever possible. But when the infringement is persistent, we will act to defend the interests of our shareholders and licensees, and to promote the fair compensation that is the bedrock of innovation.”
Kodak increases focus and commitment in the Middle East offering a free extended manufacturer warranty on document scanners
•Provided exclusively through Forefront Technologies
•“Three for free” year warranty reduces end-user costs and guarantees uninterrupted performance on workgroup and departmental equipment
Dubai February 7, 2012 – To ensure its customers realise the very best document imaging quality, guaranteed uninterrupted performance and fast response to service and support needs, Kodak today announced that it is now offering a free, three year manufacturer warranty in the Middle East on select personal, workgroup and departmental document scanners.
Delivered exclusively through its value added distributor, Forefront Technologies, highly trained certified engineers will provide Kodak Service and Support locally to customers. The service includes:
•36 months Advanced Unit Replacement (AUR) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Kodak ScanMate i920, Kodak ScanMate i1120, Kodak i2400, Kodak i2600, Kodak i2800, Kodak i1405 as well as the A4 and A3 flatbed accessories. This means next business day replacement if an issue is diagnosed in the field which cannot be addressed and solved immediately.
•36 months parts warranty in all other Middle East markets Kodak operates in such as Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Yemen. This covers the Kodak ScanMate i920, Kodak ScanMate i1120, Kodak i2400, Kodak i2600, Kodak i2800, Kodak i1220, Kodak i1320, Kodak i1405 as well as the A4 and A3 flatbed accessories.
Effective today and applicable to purchases through Forefront Technologies only, this means that Kodak has significantly raised the bar in terms of warranty provided on imaging technology as all other manufacturers in the region just offer a one-year warranty as standard, with additional coverage charged as extra.
David Whitton, Kodak’s regional sales director for the Middle East and Africa, says, “This is another first for Kodak in the Middle East as no other manufacturer provides the level of cover we do. Our new extended, free warranty obviously lowers operational costs for customers, provides piece of mind, with Forefront Technologies providing parts and warehousing locally to offer immediate response to service and support needs. This ensures solutions are always up and running, customers have the best possible user experience, thereby making Kodak a very compelling answer for reliable, cost effective document digitisation.”
With warehousing and offices in UAE and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Forefront Technologies has become Kodak’s lead partner in the delivery of service and support in the Middle East – a market where Kodak is making considerable investment and focus to energise sales effort, build presence, and visibility. It is growing its pre-sales and technical staff team, investing more in key trade shows such as GITEX, with a range of localised new products slated to launch in 1H 2012.
Georges Karam, Forefront Technologies’ managing director, says, “With an acknowledged reputation as a leading distributor of document imaging and storage products with a strong network of over 500 channel partners in the Middle East, we’ve become Kodak’s biggest partner by investing in the relationship to train staff and provide warehousing and logistical facilities from which to serve clients. The new warranty we’re delivering is an exciting development to help drive sales in 2012 and make sure that customers capitalise on all the obvious benefits of electronic document management solutions to improve organisational productivity and efficiency, and streamline information sharing.”
For further information, please visit kodak.com
Kodak sues Taiwanese camera maker over royalty dispute
Central News Agency
2012-02-06 11:01 PM
Taipei, Feb. 6 (CNA) Eastman Kodak Co., has filed a civil suit against Taiwan's Altek Corp. related to a dispute over the payment of royalty fees, the Taiwanese company said Monday. Altek, Taiwan's largest digital camera original design manufacturer (ODM), said it has a cross-licensing deal with Kodak to use some of its patents, but the two companies have recently had a disagreement over how the royalties should be calculated. Altek said it was not the only company under attack by Kodak, which has also sued major smartphone brands HTC, Apple, and Samsung, probably in a bid to increase the value of its patents, which are the company's most valuable assets. The Taiwan-based company said it has commissioned attorneys to deal with the case and overdue payment issues to protect its shareholders' interests. (By Tien Yu-pin and Hanna Liu)
source: etaiwannews.com
