Kodak Files for Bankruptcy Protection 1/18/2012

[Aristophanes]

NPR reported this morning that Kodak's plan for restructuring is to sell patents and gear up as a main focus of being a printing and ink company.

I question that logic. While not exactly a sunset industry, personal printing has reached market saturation, and commercial printing...oops, an article just notified me on my iPad. Moment, please.

Sorry for the delay.

Anyway, if creditors get turned into new shareholders, film, which is declining, will not be part of the portfolio. It will be spun off, most likely to private capital, someone who can see the bottom of the demand curve and adjust to that market reality. Likely part of the deal will be use of the Kodak brand and all the emulsion and coating IP and knowledge as a package.

[MaximusM3]

Should be sick fun to watch stocks clear and wait for stuff to show up on eBay.

I don't think that will happen so fast. They are still producing and will be for a while longer at least.

[cmacd123]

Might as well get all the links in one place

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...rticle2307932/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...rticle2307571/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...rticle2307643/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...rticle2307905/

[cmacd123]

OH yes, the tech press tells it like it is!

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01...ak_chapter_11/

One can always depend on the register to explain things clearly, and show that it is not just the residents of this site that question the current management on State Strreet

[DREW WILEY]

Running film independently and Kodak just picking up a branding fee could actually be a very good
thing as long as some kind of economy of scale and infrastructure can be kept intact. Things like
TMax and Portra films are sufficiently popular. But just like in any other example of restructuing, it
just all depends, and there's simply no way to tell until the dust settles, which can easily take a
year or two. So this bankrupty might turn out to be a good thing in the long run for film users or
a complete bellyflop. But it was all going to crash anyway if something didn't fundamentally change.

[KarnyDoc]

They claim business as usual on their website. I suspect there is a lot of running around like headless chickens going on in the background though.


Steve.

Having been through a personal bankruptcy myself a few years ago, I can provide a bit of insight.

As of today, ALL of Kodak's debt obligations are suspended, as the matter is now in the hands of a federal bnakruptcy judge, and a trustee will be assigned, if one hasn't already been.

Given that Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code allows for the debtor to reorganize debts owed so they can be repaid, usually at a rate several cents on the dollar. In the meantime, Kodak will continue operating and paying their employees.

What is generally different with a large corporate bankruptcy versus a personal one is the complexity and sheer magnitude of assets and liabilities involved.

Will various assets be divested? Generally yes, and it depends which ones. Will it be the film division? That's for the court to decide. Now, given that EVERYTHING is now in the hands of said bankruptcy court, any sale or acquisition of assets by Kodak will have to be approved by the judge. This means equipment, supplies, divisions, etc.

In the meantime, let's not all hold our breaths; we'd only turn blue.

Dieter Zakas

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Some must already be getting their panties in a bunch. At the Freestyle web site, as of this moment, the following items are not in stock anymore:
Kodak Tri-X 400 24exp
Kodak TMax P3200 36exp
Kodak TMax 400 36exp

I don't know if that means anything, but I have a feeling folks have been buying a lot of film 'just in case'.

So I just ordered another 50 rolls of Tri-X, and 15 HP5+ too *just in case*... Help! I think my panties are in a bunch.

[PKM-25]

Ironic, 1/18 is the day Dwayne's shut down the K-14 line....

I could use a tad more Portra 400 but other than that, I am well stocked up. I don't know what to say, I mean, in terms of product and industry road maps, look at Fuji, the X100 is brilliant, one of my favorite cameras of all time. That is what Kodak needed to do, innovate and yet, keep the cool factor. I would love a full frame 12-16MP back for my 501C/M, but there is none, it is all super high dollar, high res cropped stuff, not interested.

I'm out here in the Mission district of San Fran shooting HP5 and Portra 400 in my Blad this week, feeling like a walking contradiction...I love shooting film...

[Thomas Bertilsson]

I'm out here in the Mission district of San Fran shooting HP5 and Portra 400 in my Blad this week, feeling like a walking contradiction...I love shooting film...

For some reason I just loved reading that line. '...a walking contradiction...'.

[alanrockwood]

From Bloomberg:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...ection-1-.html

... I would not at all be surprised to see a consortium of motion picture people get together and bid on the coating and processing assets related to film.

Why would a creditor want to bid on a business they can pick up for no additional input of capital as part of a bankruptcy settlement?