A US International Trade Commission (ITC) judge has ruled that Kodak’s patent claim against Apple is invalid.
In a preliminary finding, administrative law judge Paul Luckern rejected Kodak’s claim that the iPhone infringes a Kodak patent related to a method for previewing images. He also rejected an identical claim against BlacKBerry-maker RIM.
Apple declined to comment, while Kodak said the it expects the judge’s decision to be overruled by the full ITC, which is expected to make a final decision in May.
“The ALJ’s recommendation represents a preliminary step in a process that we are extremely confident will conclude in Kodak’s favour,” said Laura Quatela, Kodak’s general counsel.
Apple has countersued Kodak, accusing the digital imaging firm of infringing several Apple patents covering, among other things, image processing, energy management and memory design.
