Eastman Kodak Company on Tuesday said that it had filed complaints against Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and other related entities for infringement of Kodak patents. Kodak alleges that Samsung and LG camera phones infringe Kodak digital camera patents.

“Kodak has a long history of innovation and we have invested many millions of dollars developing our digital camera technology. We’ve held discussions with both companies in an attempt to resolve this issue and have not been able to reach a satisfactory agreement. Consequently, we must take this legal action,” said Laura G. Quatela, chief intellectual property officer and vice president at Eastman Kodak Company.

The patents in question cover technology related to image capture, compression and data storage and a method for previewing motion images.

Kodak filed against Samsung and LG in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, as well as in the U.S. International Trade Commission. Kodak’s District Court complaints request compensation for damages resulting from the companies’ infringement, and both the District Court and ITC actions seek injunctions prohibiting Samsung and LG from further importation and sale of products cited in the complaints. Kodak did not disclose the amount of damages it is pursuing.

Kodak has licensed its imaging patents to several leading technology companies including Panasonic, Motorola, Nokia, Olympus, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony, Sony Ericsson and others.

In a statement, LG Electronics said it has not infringed patents of Kodak. The company said that its digital camera technology "was different" from the one patented by Kodak.

“Samsung is committed to protecting and respecting intellectual-property rights. The company forbids infringement and unauthorized use of such intellectual property. Samsung plans to respond actively to this litigation and will remain committed to serving our customers by ensuring that accurate and reliable delivery of our products is not compromised in any way,” said Samsung spokeswoman Hae Won Choi, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Tags: Kodak, LG, Samsung