Hanover Park, IL—Fujifilm North America Corporation, Graphic Communication Division, today announced that Fujifilm Corporation filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Eastman Kodak Company. Moreover, Fujifilm filed the infringement suit in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
“Fujifilm is committed to protecting its significant research and development investments. And in bringing innovative printing plate technologies to customers around the world,” commented Toyoyuki “Tommy” Katagiri, division president, Fujifilm North America Corporation, Graphic Communication Division. “We will enforce and protect our innovation and intellectual property rights in the United States and around the world when we believe others infringe unfairly.”
Fujifilm vs Eastman Kodak
The Fujifilm action involves four patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 10,427,443, 10,525,696, 10,875,346, and 11,294,279) pertaining to various aspects of process-less lithographic printing plate technologies. It includes method as well as apparatus claims.
Fujifilm is seeking remedies that include damages and injunctive relief. That’s as related to Eastman Kodak’s unauthorized commercial manufacture, use, offer to sell or sale within the United States, and/or importation of its process-less lithographic printing plate products that infringe the four asserted patents. Particularly, it concerns those sold under the product name “SONORA X” and the brand umbrella name “SONORA XTRA.”
Separately in October 2023 and December 2023, respectively, Fujifilm Corporation sued Eastman Kodak’s European subsidiaries for infringement of the related European counterparts of the U.S. patents-in-suit in the Unified Patent Court and in Germany. Those subsidiaries are Kodak GmbH, Kodak Graphic Communications GmbH, as well as Kodak Holding GmbH.
“We will continue to protect our intellectual property in process-less lithographic printing plates, to the benefit of our customers, including small, family-owned printing businesses, as well as medium- and large-sized printing businesses,” added Katagiri.
