OTHER NEWS - March 24, 1994

Kodak Video Recording Patent Invalidated: Sony Corp. scored a knockdown in a high-stakes patent dispute with Eastman Kodak Co. over a magnetic recording system used in camcorders and videocassette recorders. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office invalidated Kodak’s 1981 patent on the technology, now in wide use. At stake are tens of millions of dollars in royalties, analysts said. In February, 1993, Kodak sued the Japanese electronics company and its U.S. subsidiary, Sony Corp. of America, alleging violation of the patent. However, Sony asked for a re-examination of the patent, arguing that similar technology was in the public domain for years before Kodak claimed exclusive rights to it. Kodak said it plans to appeal the Patent Office ruling.