Tag Archives: bankrupt

Kodak sues Apple for allegedly interfering with patent sales, has little nostalgia for your QuickTake

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Kodak sues Apple for allegedly interfering with patent sales, has few fond memories of your QuickTake camera

Kodak may have recently obtained clearance to sell some patents and help dig itself out of bankruptcy, but it wants to be extra-certain Apple is nowhere near potential buyers if a deal goes down. The former camera maker is suing Apple in hopes of making the former collaborator drop challenges to the ownership of 10 imaging patents from the early 1990s, when the two were still buddy-buddy enough to design the QuickTake camera line together. Claims by Apple and patent transfer recipient FlashPoint Technology are purportedly just attempts to stall any patent sale as long as possible and spook buyers away, forcing Kodak to make some hard decisions about its own lawsuits. That's not to say Kodak is a doe-eyed innocent here: Apple has accused Kodak of trying to sweep any patent disputes under the rug with bankruptcy as the pretext. Although the lawsuit is just one part of a larger story, it could more definitively answer whether or not Kodak has enough bullets left in its patent gun.

[Image credit: Mikhail Shcherbakov, Flickr]

Kodak sues Apple for allegedly interfering with patent sales, has little nostalgia for your QuickTake originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 12:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ITC says again that Apple and RIM don’t violate Kodak patent

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Kodak, Apple and RIM go pow

Kodak hasn't caught a break lately, and that trend isn't easing up any time soon with a second rejection arriving in its main International Trade Commission (ITC) patent dispute with Apple and RIM. Despite having had its case remanded after a loss last year, Kodak is once more being told that BlackBerrys and iPhones don't violate a patent on previewing photos. The one violation was rendered moot through "obviousness," according to administrative law judge Thomas Pender. It's still an initial ruling, and Kodak is trying to put a positive light on the situation -- it's "pleased" there's still an infringement, even if the patent claim is invalid -- but the patent wars aren't looking good for a photography company that has already had to give up cameras to have a chance of staying afloat. Most of Kodak's hope, then, will be pinned on a second wave of ITC disputes that might stand a better chance of putting at least Apple's feet to the fire.

Continue reading ITC says again that Apple and RIM don't violate Kodak patent

ITC says again that Apple and RIM don't violate Kodak patent originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 15:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LightSquared officially files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

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cell tower

As expected, May 14th is indeed a dark day for LightSquared. The company has just filed paperwork in order to initiate Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in Manhattan's US Bankruptcy Court, effectively killing its dream of providing a high-speed mobile wireless network to upwards of 260 million people. Not quite a year after Sprint and LightSquared put together an agreement that would ensure 15 years of blissful LTE enjoyment together, Philip Falcone's baby looks weaker than ever. With the Sprint tie-up now void, and over $1.6 billion in debt, there's probably not too many places for LS to turn. The primary hurdle -- one it never could seem to overcome -- was the FCC's outright refusal to believe any of the company's mitigation proposals in relation to GPS interference issues. Despite "profoundly disagreeing" and raising all sorts of chaos in an effort to get its way, LightSquared never did manage to convince the powers that mattered. Where it turns from here is anyone's guess, but it won't be a quiet fall from grace, we're surmising.

LightSquared officially files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 14:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSJ: LightSquared ‘preparing’ for bankruptcy protection filing, final decision coming tomorrow

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exit only

Can't say it's striking us as any sort of surprise, but the seemingly destined-to-fail LightSquared just might be out of options. After getting a high-five from Sprint and plenty of attention for its initiatives in bringing yet another wireless option to America, those blasted GPS interference issues (or "supposed" issues, depending on who you ask) eventually became too much to overcome. According to a breaking report out of The Wall Street Journal, Philip Falcone's venture is seriously teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, as "negotiations with lenders to avoid a potential default faltered," according to the ever-present "people familiar with the matter." Purportedly, the two sides have until 5PM tomorrow to strike a deal that'll keep the firm out of bankruptcy court (if you'll recall, it owes over $1.6 billion dollars to various entities), but given just how far apart these sides remain, its fate seems all but sealed. We'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more, but don't go placing bets on yet another debt-term violation waiver.

WSJ: LightSquared 'preparing' for bankruptcy protection filing, final decision coming tomorrow originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments