Today, Eastman Kodak filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission and a suit in the Western District Court of New York that claims Apple's iPhone and Research in Motion's BlackBerry devices both violate Kodak's digital imaging patents.
Equipped with a fresh legal precedent from the suit it won against Samsung last month, Kodak spokesmen say the company isn't trying to disrupt sales of the iPhone or BlackBerry devices, but rather, it's seeking compensation for use of Kodak's patented technology.
On December 17, Samsung was found to be in violation of Kodak's 1997 patent for color image preview on digital LCD screens.
"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," Laura G. Quatela, Chief Intellectual Property Officer, and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company, 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."
In October, Finnish Mobile phone leader Nokia sued Apple for not paying for licenses of certain wireless technologies used in the iPhone.
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