Andre Yoskowitz
15 May 2010 16:07
In January, Eastman Kodak said it was suing smartphone makers RIM and Apple for patent violations relating to the cameras used in BlackBerrys and the iPhone.
In April, Apple countersued Kodak , accusing the film pioneer of violating two digital photography patents that Apple owns.
The International Trade Commission (ITC) has said this week that it will investigate into the countersuit, after agreeing to investigate into Kodak's claims earlier this year.
The two patents specifically noted in the suit are patents 6,031,964 and RE38,911, which are "a system and method for using a unified memory architecture to implement a digital camera device," and a "modular digital image processing via an image processing chain with modifiable parameter controls."
The decision by the ITC is not a surprise as it, in most cases, accepts complaints from major corporations. The dispute can take up to years to be resolved, however.
Apple is currently in patent lawsuit disputes with Kodak, Nokia and HTC.