Kodak trying to sue itself out of bankruptcy

Eastman Kodak is suing Samsung over claims its patents have been infringed. The US camera and printer maker said the complaint relates to five of its digital imaging technologies. It is the latest in a series of patent lawsuits filed by the firm since the start of the year.

Kodak said on Wednesday that it was seeking bankruptcy protection. That followed an announcement in July that it was looking to sell or license about 1,100 digital imaging patents. Kodak has also filed lawsuits against Apple and HTC involving the same five patents. In addition it is suing Fujifilm over a separate, but overlapping, set of claimed infringements. Kodak alleged that the Japanese company had made use of its technologies including the "quick review of last captured image" and "user selectable image record size".

What I can gather from all this is that the best way to make money these days is to go back in time and make a really loose patent application for, say 'a portable box from which video and audio eminate', then come back to the present and just watch the money roll in through your solicitor's office.

Also Kodak is going out of business because they never managed to make a single half decent digital camera, and all their products since 35mm film have sucked. As far as I can tell, companies that make stuff that sucks go out of business. It's a crazy world out there.

bbc.co.uk/news