Fujifilm files patent claim against Kodak

Fujifilm has launched a legal action against Kodak, and claims that its Sonora processless plates infringe Fujifilm’s patents.

The patent infringement lawsuit was lodged against Eastman Kodak in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey on Wednesday (20 March).

Fujifilm has cited four of its patents, which involve various aspects of processless lithographic printing plate technologies, including method and apparatus claims.

Fujifilm said it was seeking remedies including damages and injunctive relief related to Kodak’s “unauthorized commercial manufacture, use, offer to sell, or sale within the United States, and/or importation of its processless lithographic printing plate products that infringe the four asserted patents”.

This includes products sold under the product name Sonora X and the brand umbrella name Sonora Xtra.

A Kodak spokesperson told Printweek: “Kodak believes the claims are without merit and we plan to defend the claims vigorously.”   

Fujifilm also stated that in October and December 2023 Fujifilm Corporation had sued Kodak’s European subsidiaries, Kodak GmbH, Kodak Graphic Communications GmbH, and Kodak Holding GmbH, for infringement of the related European counterparts of the US patents-in-suit “in the Unified Patent Court and in Germany”.

Over the years numerous patent actions have been launched over printing plate technologies.

In a separate move, last year Kodak petitioned the US Department of Commerce and the US International Trade Commission, and called for tariffs to be imposed on Chinese and Japanese plate manufacturers that import products into the US, citing “unfairly low prices that significantly undercut” its domestic market.