Kodak Acquires 2 Digital Printing Firms; Sues Sony for Patent Infringement

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 9, 2004 - 6:30am.

Rochester, N.Y. -- Photo giant Eastman Kodak stepped up its move into the digital market yesterday when it acquired two digital printing companies owned by the German firm Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG for a combined $150 million. The two companies, NexPress Solutions and Heidelberg Digital, manufacture digital color and black-and-white printers. Separately, Kodak announced it has filed patent infringement claims against rival camera maker Sony, alleging the company is infringing on 10 of its patents covering digital photography technology. The suit seeks an injunction against further sale of the allegedly infringing products and unspecified monetary damages. "We have attempted to resolve the matter with Sony for almost three years, and the discussion between us have not led to a suitable licensing agreement," Kodak spokesman Gerard Meuchner told Reuters. Sony said it had not yet seen the suit and had no comment.
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