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Kodak Files For Bankruptcy Protection
Snirt writes "Following up on a story previously discussed here, it now appears Eastman Kodak, the company that invented the hand-held camera, has filed for bankruptcy protection. The move, according to Kodak's news release, gives the company time to reorganize itself without facing its creditors, and Kodak said it would mean business as normal for customers. The company has recently moved away from cameras, focusing on making printers to stem falling profits."
Sad to see ... but they've been living off patents and selling assets the last couple of years ... so not surprising they ran outa $$$
Hulk SMASH Celiac Disease
I was a summer intern at KRL (Kodak Research Labs), working on digital image processing, when the whole printer thing took off, and it was painfully obvious to us that it was a terrible move. Putting Bill Lloyd (formerly head of inkjet work) in place as CTO seemed to cement things in place.
Who prints anything at home these days, anyway? Especially photos....
Misery loves company. Online misery loves unsuspecting random strangers.
tl;dr: don't be afraid of cannibalizing your own sales. Because if you don't, some other bugger will anyway.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Funny how little concern is shown by legislators about the failure of this business due to changing technology, yet it is so determined to protect those in the music and movie industry.
It's on America's tortured brow, That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
and other people use it, then you have the right to be compensated for that use.
Were not talking about patent trolling, Kodak invented technologies, uses those technologies in its own products, and licenses those techs to other companies.
Whats wrong with that. Apple wants to use its patents to block competition while Kodak wants people (including Apple) to pay when they use its technology. Kodak historically has treated its customers and its employees very well(with pensions including retiree health insurance).
I work in the digital imaging industry, and have long interacted with Kodak engineers and digital imaging people.
Many years ago, at a FlashPix conference (anyone remember that chestnut?), I remember talking to a digital imaging manager, who told me that his efforts to promote digital imaging were being deliberately sabotaged by higher-ups, who had thrown their lot in with film, and were seeing none of "this new-fangled digital imaging" stuff.
At that point, I knew that Kodak was screwed.
This is really sad. Kodak should have ruled the industry.
It is an object lesson in that phrase Stuart Brand coined: "Once a new technology rolls over you, you are either part of the road, or part of the steamroller."
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong."
-H. L. Mencken
and other people use it, then you have the right to be compensated for that use.
Were not talking about patent trolling, Kodak invented technologies, uses those technologies in its own products, and licenses those techs to other companies.
Whats wrong with that.
Patent trolling is usually understood to be when a company or individual uses a strategy of making money from lawsuits rather than selling products. Kodak has all but admitted that this is its strategy.
Apple wants to use its patents to block competition while Kodak wants people (including Apple) to pay when they use its technology.
Say what you will about Apple, but it actually makes stuff and sells it to get money.
Kodak historically has treated its customers and its employees very well(with pensions including retiree health insurance).
Aww, are we one of the beneficiaries of the Great Yellow Father? Is that why we're jumping in to defend them? Aww, your loyalty is so touching.
So. You are saying that ... "Nothing of value was lost"
Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?