20 April 2010
The Wall Street Journal has published an in-depth article looking at Kodak's position in the digital imaging sector.
It explains that a patent claim filed last week by Apple highlights Kodak’s “continuing reliance on income from its intellectual-property patents”.
Apple claims that Kodak has been using its digital-processing technology. The article adds that “Kodak filed lawsuits against Apple and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. earlier this year, and they are pending”.
According to the article, Kodak moved late to digital technologies, and it has been trying to catch up under Chief Executive Antonio Perez, an ex-HP executive.
Kodak has only reported one full-year profit, which was in 2007, since 2004, says the article.
Over the past year, the article explains that income from patent-suit settlements have helped Kodak as “it struggles to complete the switch from film to digital technologies”. This includes $550 million from Samsung Electronics and more than $400 million from LG Electronics.
Speaking to analysts, the author of the article found that the experts believe that Kodak is running out of companies to sue.
The article says: “Although Kodak invented the digital camera in 1975, it didn't move quickly to commercialize it. But many of its patents are in digital imaging, and it began licensing intellectual property in 2000 under ex- CEO Dan Carp.”
Click here to read the full article, with more on Kodak’s income and a lookout for its future.