Kodak sues LG, Samsung over camera patents

Let the fight begin

Kodak has filed a lawsuit against LG and Samsung in which it claims the duo have trampled over some of its digital camera patents.

Image capture, video preview, and compression and data storage patents were granted to Kodak between 1993 and 2001. The camera giant – which is thought to own about 1000 camera patents in all – has alleged that LG and Samsung used technology enshrined in those patents in their cameraphone designs.

"We've held discussions with both companies in an attempt to resolve this issue and have not been able to reach a satisfactory agreement," said Laura Quatela, Kodak's Chief Intellectual Property Officer.

It’s unknown exactly how much cash Kodak hopes to get from the lawsuit. But the firm’s also filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission in an attempt to stop any of the disputed cameraphones from being imported into the States.

LG has already denied that it’s at fault. "The technology we've used in our products are totally ours and have nothing to do with Kodak," a spokeswoman for the company told the Associated Press.

Samsung said simply that it’ll “respond actively” to the lawsuit.