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Apple and Google Lead Separate Groups in Bidding for Kodak Patents

Friday July 27, 2012 3:05 pm PDT by Jordan Golson

Google and Apple are once again going head to head in bidding for a major collection of patents owned by a bankrupt corporation. According to The Wall Street Journal, two consortiums have formed to bid for the patents owned by camera giant Kodak, which is currently in bankruptcy.

Apple, Microsoft, and patent-aggregation firm Intellectual Ventures are teaming up, while Google, Samsung, LG, HTC and RPX Corp are forming the second alliance.

The people familiar with the discussions cautioned that work on bids could continue over the weekend, with alliances changing and other bidders potentially emerging.

[…]

A bankruptcy court supervised auction of Kodak's patents is set for Aug. 8. The patents are being sold in two lots: the digital-capture portfolio related to capturing and processing images on cameras, smartphones and tablets; and the Kodak Imaging Systems and Services patents related to storing and analyzing images, among other things.

The two teams are unsurprising. A consortium consisting of Apple, EMC, Ericsson, Microsoft, RIM, and Sony purchased 6,000 patents from Nortel last year, beating out a group that included Intel and Google. For the Kodak patents, we see Google paired up with Samsung, LG and HTC -- three major Android handset makers -- along with RPX Corp., another patent aggregation firm.

Apple and Kodak have filed a number of lawsuits and countersuits against each other in the ongoing tech patent wars.

Top Rated Comments

bushido

109 months ago

just shows how pathatic software patents are. nothing to do with protecting your invention

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

codefuns

Why patent can be transferred? I think a patent should only protected its inventor, if the inventor (a person or company) broken or died, or doesn't use its patent to make profit or benefit human in a limit period, this patent should expired.
A lot of patents is very simple, funny simple, it is unfair for young people, and it will greatly prevent innovation.

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

chrmjenkins

Apple and Microsoft have the deepest pockets, so if they want them that bad, they'll get them. Apple also doesn't perceive WP7/8 as a major threat to its business either, so their teaming up makes sense.

Interesting. I cannot imagine Kodak having many patents that are relevant in this digital age. Maybe photo printing methods and stuff like that? Weird, but interesting.

Reading is your friend.

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

SPUY767

Seems like Goog trying to buddy up with its Android OEMs could have antitrust implications. Google needs a cudgel to use against Apple, they will pay dearly for these. We all know, however, that no one's pockets are deeper than Apple's.

Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

HiRez

All Apple has to do is bid one dollar over Avogadro's Number. Done.

This is great news for Kodak, they will probably end up getting an obscene amount of money for the patents with the bidding war and at least pay off their creditors.

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Lochias

Teams

Apple vs. Google vs. Microsoft

Let the battle begin.

Except that there are two sides, not three. Apple/Microsoft v. Google/Android.

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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