Apple Says Kodak Swiped Its Digital Camera

SAN JOSE, Calif. (CN) - Apple Inc. has again accused Eastman Kodak of swiping its digital camera architecture. A similar lawsuit was filed against Kodak in April, while Kodak accused Apple in January of violating its patent on cell phone camera technology.

In the most recent lawsuit, filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court, Apple says it approached Kodak about working together to commercialize digital camera architecture involving an "LCD viewfinder for live motion preview of images."

The camera architecture was developed "around the central concept of a digital still camera with an LCD viewfinder for live color preview, including sound annotations for still images, review and playback of images and sounds, and easy transfer of the images to a computer."

Apple and Kodak agreed to work together in early 1990, and Apple says it revealed "confidential details of its digital camera development program to Kodak."

Apple says "Kodak wrongfully took this information and claimed it as Kodak's own" by applying for and getting a U.S. patent.

Kodak then launched an "aggressive licensing campaign," earning Kodak over $1 billion, according to the complaint.

Apple filed a similar suit in the same court in April, claiming Eastman Kodak's Z Series of digital camera violates two of its patents.

In January, Eastman Kodak claimed in Federal Court in Rochester, N.Y., that Apple's iPhone 3GS violates its patent on for "Electronic Camera for Initiating Capture of Still Images while Reviewing Motion Images." Kodak also accused Apple of violating three other patents in a separate claim in the same court,

In the most recent complaint, Apple wants to block Kodak from using its patent, and seeks unspecified damages for breach of contract, conversion and unfair competition.

The lawsuit was filed by Matthew Powers with Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.

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