Kodak still hopes to thrash out an agreement with Panasonic?s owner Matsushita despite last week filing a lawsuit claiming Panasonic infringed its digital camera patents.
In a statement Eastman Kodak?s US office said: ?We hope that an accord can eventually be reached with Matsushita Electric Industrial (MEI) in this matter but to date we are at the impasse that has led to this [legal] action.?
The alleged infringements include one for an ?electronic camera utilising image compression and digital storage?.
At the time of writing, Matsushita had yet to receive the lawsuit. ?We are aware of the fact that Kodak filed a lawsuit,? said a spokesman. ?Since we have not received the petition paper, we would like to refrain from making comments.?
Kodak claims that it has attempted to resolve the matter with MEI for ?a number of years?.
Kodak?s statement added: ?The discussions between the companies have not led to a suitable license agreement so we have decided to file a complaint in order to protect the investment in technology that we make on behalf of our shareholders and to protect the interests of other licensees.?
Kodak filed the lawsuit on 25 July in the Eastern District of Texas.
Kodak says it holds more than 1,000 digital camera patents relating to digital camera products.
?We have invested many millions of dollars in these technologies and have an obligation to our shareholders and to other licensees to protect out intellectual property,? continued Kodak.
