Polaroid wins patent battle against Kodak

Press, 14 October 1985, Page 35

Polaroid wins patent battle against Kodak

NZPA-AP Boston A Federal Judge has barred the Eastman Kodak Company from making or selling instant cameras or film like those produced by the Polaroid Corporation. The decision comes after a nine-year patent battle between the photography firms.

The ruling by a U.S. District Judge, Rya Zobel, followed her decision on September 9 upholding eight of 10 polaroid patents involved. She ruled that seven of the patents had been infringed. Judge Zobel granted a permanent injunction against Eastman Kodak, barring manufacture, sale or use of instant cameras or film that infrinvA five patents held by Polaroid. Polaroid had filed suit after Kodak introduced an instant photography system, ending Polaroid’s 30-year

monopoly in the field. Of the 10 patents in the suit, six covered rollers, gears and other mechanical parts, and four covered chemical formulas involved with the workings of instant film. Kodak had argued that the elements of Polaroid’s SX-70 camera — which produces fast, dry colour prints — were part of the photographic state of the art at least a decade before Polaroid introduced the product However, Mr Edwin Land, the founder of Polaroid, testified the patents, including three of his own, would not have been obvious to someone skilled in the art A separate hearing on damages requested by Polaroid would be set down later, said Mr Sam Yanes, a spokesman for Polaroid.