Apple counter-sues Kodak over digital camera patents

 

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By Hani Megerisi

Posted on 20 Apr 2010 at 17:09

Apple has filed a counter-suit against Kodak in what's becoming an increasingly ugly patent dispute.

Kodak filed a suit against Apple and RIM in January, claiming the technology used to preview images on their phones violated one of its patents.

Apple has now retaliated by claiming infringement of its patents for digital camera memory handling and digital image processing. The firm said it had been “irreparably harmed by Kodak's acts of infringement, and will continue to be harmed unless and until Kodak acts of infringement are enjoined and restrained by order of this court”.

Apple has been irreparably harmed by Kodak's acts of infringement, and will continue to be harmed unless and until Kodak acts of infringement are enjoined and restrained by order of this court

A number of Kodak products, including the M-Series and C-series cameras, and several models from is video camera ranges, are listed in the filing. Kodak was unavailable for comment, and a spokesman from Apple said the firm does not comment on pending litigation.

The firms are no stranger to courtroom patent battles. Apple is currently fighting a number of patent suits against Nokia, counter-suing the Scandinavian phone-maker after it sued Apple in October and again in January. Apple also filed a suit against HTC last month, in what was perceived as a thinly veiled attack on Google, as HTC manufactures several of the Android handsets.

Similarly, Kodak has launched suits against other phone makers, including Samsung and LG in 2008, over the use of camera technology in mobile handsets.