Kodak has won a preliminary fight with Samsung,, which the camera giant had accused of infringing its digital camera patents.
An International Trade Commission judge
ruled after an administrative proceeding that Samsung had infringed two Kodak patents, the ITC said on Friday.
Kodak had initially filed suit against Samsung and LG and their subsidiaries in November 2008. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) had voted to institute an investigation of certain mobile telephones and wireless communication devices featuring digital cameras and components thereof. The products at issue in the investigation were mobile telephones and other handheld mobile wireless devices that contain digital cameras.
The investigation was based on a complaint filed by Eastman Kodak Company of Rochester, NY, on November 17, 2008. The complaint alleged violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the United States and sale of certain mobile telephones and wireless communication devices featuring digital cameras and components thereof that infringe patents owned by Eastman Kodak Company. The complainant requested that the ITC issue an exclusion order and cease and desist orders.
However, Kodak recently entered into
a licensing agreement with LG. Under terms of a settlement with LG, Kodak said it would sell LG its super-thin OLED screen technology. The companies will share patents.
The judge's decision now goes to the full commission, which will decide whether to uphold the ruling.