Apple, Google, And RIM Involved In Kodak Patent Buyout

Earlier this morning, it was announced that Kodak sold off all of their digital imaging patents for a total of $525 million in order to help pay off chapter 11 bankruptcy bills. At the time, though, a list of companies who bought these patents off of Kodak wasn't disclosed, but now the list has been released, and it includes a total of 12 companies, including Apple, Google, and Research In Motion.

Other companies who bought digital imaging patents from Kodak include Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Samsung, Adobe, Fujifilm, Huawei, HTC, and Shutterfly. The auctioned patents — more than 1,100 of which related to the capture, manipulation and sharing of digital images — were previously estimated to be worth as much as $2.6 billion.

However, a spokesperson for Kodak said that the sold patents are just a fraction of the company's complete portfolio. Kodakd retains ownership of about 9,600 other patents for their ongoing businesses. Furthermore, the patent buyout resolves all patent-infringement lawsuits between Kodak and the 12 companies mentioned above.

Kodak needed to sell these digital imaging patents for at least $500 million, according to an agreement made last month. This would help obtain $830 million in financing to exit bankruptcy in the first half of 2013. The patent sale had to be agreed upon by January 31 and must close by February 28.

[via Reuters]