Apple has been told that it can no longer pursue Kodak over patent infringement claims.
As pretty much everyone knows at this point, Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is going through the painful process of reorganizing funds and structure to try to keep those sections of the company that are profitable to keep running.
Apple had been seeking legal action against the once formidable photography company, over patents that it alleges Kodak infringed on in its LCD displays for its digital cameras.
Apple was also seeking a new lawsuit because it claimed Kodak infringed on even more of its patents with the inner workings of Kodak digital cameras as well as printers. The bankruptcy court judge overseeing the Kodak proceedings also barred that legal action.
This is because companies that are undergoing bankruptcy hearings are shielded from what the law calls “creditor harassment,” to prevent fledgling companies from needing to deal with new pressures from outside companies.
Apple was not happy, but Kodak said it was pleased with the ruling. Of course, that’s about the only thing it has to be pleased with at the moment.
Kodak was once an American icon with a sprawling corporate campus in upstate New York. Now, that same campus houses a skeleton crew and the name that was once a staple in every house is moving into the “where are they now?” files.
Kodak does have some profitable business ventures, including enterprise printing solutions, but most of its divisions are sinking.
