Kodak considering selling 1,100 of its patents

With the Apple vs Samsung legal battle going on, you may have forgotten about Kodak's very own legal battle against Apple and Research In Motion (RIM). For those who may have forgotten, early last year Kodak sued Apple along with RIM for infringing on their image-previewing patent. Apparently the cost of an ongoing lawsuit can be quite expensive as Kodak has expressed interest in raising cash as their patent litigation income has started to dry up over the last two quarters.

In an attempt to raise money (and perhaps to end the lawsuit once and for all), Kodak has been reported to be considering selling some 1,100 patents which makes up for about 10% of the company's portfolio, and among those 1,100 patents is the very same image-previewing patent that Apple and RIM are accused of infringing upon.

Some are speculating that Apple and RIM may try to buy those patents not only to put an end to the lawsuit, but also to protect themselves. If another company were to buy those patents, Apple and RIM could very well see themselves back in court or be forced to pay royalties. As it stands, both Samsung and LG have already settled the lawsuit with Kodak for $900 million and could be one of the companies that may try to place a bid for those patents, also in an effort to protect themselves from future lawsuits.
source: Ubergizmo

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