Beleaguered Kodak strikes legal blow against Apple

Kodak, the formerly powerful but now bankrupt camera company, has tasted victory in its ongoing patent war with Apple.

Kodak has been scrambling to maintain its very existence lately, and part of that struggle includes a lawsuit it brought against Apple. The suit, which was fired up in June, claimed that Apple was standing between Kodak and a much-needed patent auction (part of Kodak’s bankruptcy proceedings).

While Apple said it owned the rights to technology for digital photo previews on a camera’s LCD screen, the judge disagreed, ruling in Kodak’s favor. Altogether, Apple has made claims on 10 of Kodak’s patents; today’s ruling covers two of those.

“If Apple’s claims proceed despite their unreasonably delayed commencement, Kodak might have to go back to the drawing board for ways to fund its case,” U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Allan Gropper wrote in his decision.

The patent auction, which involves more than 1,000 patents regarding how devices that capture, edit, manipulate, and share digital photographs, is scheduled to take place on August 8. However, if Apple’s counterclaims continue, that date could change.

Kodak filed for bankruptcy near the beginning of the year and announced it would be shutting down its camera manufacturing business.

As part of the bankruptcy, Kodak also sold its printing service, Gallery, to Shutterfly.