Plan for Kodak Instant Camera Refund Halted

Eastman Kodak Co., barred last month by a federal judge from making and selling instant cameras and film, has been hit by another court order that puts its planned refund program for the obsolete cameras on hold, it was reported Friday.

Judge David J. Shields of the Circuit Court of Cook County in Chicago ordered Kodak to stop its refund program until a lawsuit charging Kodak with not offering enough compensation to owners of instant cameras can be heard.

Shields’ injunction was filed Thursday.

“Essentially, what the injunction does is ensure that the court will supervise the program,” said Perry M. Berke, the Chicago attorney who filed the lawsuit on behalf of William and Joyce Sampson of Chicago.

“We believe there should be some type of independent administration of the compensation, instead of having Kodak say, ‘Here’s what you can have,’ ” Berke said Friday.

Kodak offered the refund program after a federal court ordered the company out of the instant photography business Jan. 9 because of patent violations against Polaroid Corp.

The lawsuit seeks refunds of the purchase price of the cameras, damages for the loss of future use and enjoyment of the cameras and attorneys’ fees.