After shouting that everybody needs to get along in the back seat or it’s coming back there, the International Trade Commission is pulling over the car and doing just that. On Wednesday, the commission announced that it has opened an investigation into whether the technology used in BlackBerry and Apple smartphones infringes on patents held by Eastman Kodak.
Kodak filed patent infringement lawsuits against both companies back in January, but because patent cases typically take years to resolve, the company also filed a formal complaint with the ITC. This route is typically seen as an expedited solution that can see results in as little as a year, according to the Associated Press. In addition, the ITC wields the power to completely bar the import of disputed devices if Kodak is successful.
If the ITC decides in Kodak’s favor, it wouldn’t be the company’s first victory in the realm of intellectual property. Back in December, Kodak reached a settlement with Samsung over its smartphones that has netted the company $450 million in intellectual property payments this year alone. And in 2007, it ended a three-year patent battle with Sony over digital camera technology, which also had the company pocketing royalties.
