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Kodak Seeking to Sell its Patent Portfolio
Kodak’s “viability on a go-forward basis may be not only challenged but hard to defend,” Keith Wirtz, Cincinnati-based chief investment officer at Fifth Third Asset Management, which oversees $16.7 billion, said in a telephone interview. “They do have values embedded in patents and other technologies. Someone is going to buy the company and tear it apart.”
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...-real-m-a.html
Eastman Kodak Co. has kicked off its patent sale, as the beleaguered imaging company seeks to ride the bull market for patents and capitalize on its intellectual property in the booming market for tablet computers.
Investment bank Lazard Ltd. began marketing the portfolio this week, reaching out to companies that might be interested, said a person familiar with the matter.
Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...605257846.html
Original links from Gizmodo: http://gizmodo.com/5832041/kodak-emb...tent-portfolio
Saddled with poor earnings, pensions, a struggling digital imaging business, and consumer printing business, Kodak seems to be driving it self to destruction by dismantling its patent portfolio piecemeal. I am actually very disappointed in its management's decision to do this. Seeing that they are still in litigation and awaiting the decision of the US International Trade Commission on infringement of their patents by Apple and RIM, their current decision to sell off now, may indicate that their patents may not hold up. This doesnt sound like it will end well at all. The end is near. =[
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"Someone is going to buy the company and tear it apart."
Already been reading this stuff, but didn't want to say anything.
This is so sad it hurts...
Ken
"The richness of the experience that occurs when one is exposed tangibly to a subject, material, or process is unmatchable in the abstract... Thus, when 'touch it,' 'taste it,' smell it' become the watchwords, the results are most often extraordinary. Equally extraordinary are the lengths to which people will go to avoid [that] experience."
— Tom Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr., In Search of Excellence, 1982
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And I was just starting to like Portra 400. 
Dammit Kodak don't you screw this up.
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"Get drunk, actuate shutters, win at life." -Anonymous
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There's still Fuji I suppose 
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 Originally Posted by tomalophicon
There's still Fuji I suppose
Yes Fuji is still there. For how long ? I'm afraid C-41 end is not that far. 
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Originally Posted by faustotesta
Yes Fuji is still there. For how long ? I'm afraid C-41 end is not that far.
Darn I hope not!
Jeff
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I read somewhere that Kodak's film business brings in about $2bn revenue per year, including the movie stocks. Even today, that's a big business, and perhaps freed of the past legacies, someone can turn this into a successful business again. Not that long ago, Apple was struggling to meet the next month's payroll (really), but now they are around the most valuable company in the world. Kodak can't do that, but turnarounds happen, and sometimes they happen in a big way.
Even if the worst happens, and Kodak is liquidated, no liquidator will see a large revenue stream and just close it down.
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Looking back I see Kodak was thinking of selling its film business in 2007. Now I sort of wish they had, probably would have made a lot more sense to sell it back then! I think it will be a tougher sell today. I hope it happens so we can continue to get their products but I am not holding my breath. Just when I got into doing my own C-41 and RA-4 too... rats!
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Originally Posted by Newt_on_Swings
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...-real-m-a.html
Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...605257846.html
Original links from Gizmodo: http://gizmodo.com/5832041/kodak-emb...tent-portfolio
Saddled with poor earnings, pensions, a struggling digital imaging business, and consumer printing business, Kodak seems to be driving it self to destruction by dismantling its patent portfolio piecemeal. I am actually very disappointed in its management's decision to do this. Seeing that they are still in litigation and awaiting the decision of the US International Trade Commission on infringement of their patents by Apple and RIM, their current decision to sell off now, may indicate that their patents may not hold up. This doesnt sound like it will end well at all. The end is near. =[
Before we go all "Chicken Little" over this, let's for a change take the time to read around and see what's on the table rather than vapor endlessly about the unknown.
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I've read around and see this a great news for film, considering the alternative. Kodak management is working hard not to be bought out and have its parts sold off. By selling patents off they seem to be buying time until that can finish a restructuring and bring it back to profitability.
I see selling the patents rather than selling the company as the better deal for film and film users.
The 3 billion dollar number seems a bit high for the patents. Big players have already stocked up their patent arsenal. They will go at a much lower price to a patent troll company or similar outfit.
P.S: The pension shortfall appears to be much higher than is reported by the company. This will scare away some buyers of the firm.
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