Apple forced to stop suing Kodak over patents

In January, 131 year old camera company Kodak filed a lawsuit against Apple for violating four patents. Fast forward a month later, Apple went after the already bankrupt Kodak in court, counter suing the company. Apple claimed that Kodak actually stole the patents in question from Apple.

Today, the WSJ reports a New York judge has ordered Apple to stop filing lawsuits against Kodak. Kodak is failing as a company and is currently bankrupt… 

Judge Allan L. Gropper of U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan’s rulings covered both a pending suit Apple has against Kodak over the patent, as well as another complaint it wants to bring that covers damages the company thinks it is owed since Kodak filed for Chapter 11. The pending suit in the U.S. District Court in Rochester, N.Y., had already been stopped automatically by bankruptcy law, but Apple sought to lift the “automatic stay” shielding Kodak from litigation so the suit could continue.

The judge has ruled it would be unfair to allow Apple to keep going after Kodak at this time, because of Kodak’s current financial troubles. Kodak is also accusing Apple of slowing the sale of a few patents.

Kodak is currently failing as a company, and has been going after companies for violating its patents in order to gain money. The company currently has a $950 million loan, that it must pay back by June of this year. In the company’s typical legal fashion, Apple isn’t going to put up with Kodak in court.

In February, a judge halted Apple’s motion to sue Kodak. Apple requested the halt be lifted, but that request has been denied today.

For now, it looks like Apple must play the waiting game.