Kodak has won its preliminary fight with Samsung in their battle over digital-camera patents.
Kodak filed suit against Samsung and LG Electronics and their subsidiaries in November 2008, saying the digital cameras in LG and Samsung smartphones were made with technology that Kodak had patented.
LG settled, agreeing to share patents in return for a license to use the super-thin OLED screen technology.
Samsung continued the fight, but has lost this first round after an International Trade Commission judge ruled that Samsung had infringed two Kodak patents.
“We are gratified that the judge recognised the validity and infringement of the digital camera patents at issue,” says Kodak.
“We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars creating this technology, and we have an obligation to our shareholders and other licensees to protect that investment,” the company adds.
The judge’s decision now goes to the full commission, which will decide whether to uphold the ruling.
The ITC is a popular venue for patent lawsuits because it can bar the importation of devices made with infringing technology. If the ITC orders an import ban, that order would go into full effect only after a standard 60-day executive branch review. The executive branch rarely overturns the ITC’s decisions.
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