Kyocera Files Inkjet Head Patent Infringement Suit Against Kodak

SAN DIEGO/KYOTO—Dec. 19, 2011—Kyocera Corp. has filed a complaint against Eastman Kodak in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California for infringement of one of Kyocera’s patents for inkjet recording head structure. The complaint alleges that the head component of Kodak inkjet printers infringes U.S. Patent No. 7,097,286.

[The Wall Street Journal reports that Kodak has characterized the move as “a legal tactic being employed by a technology competitor to change the dynamics of a long-running breach-of-contract dispute in which we have alleged failure to pay royalties.”]

The patent resulted from the Kyocera Group’s research and development efforts and more than 50 years of innovation in the field of advanced ceramics. The suit seeks as-yet undetermined monetary damages, as well as an injunction against Kodak to cease manufacturing and sales of products that infringe said patent.

About Kyocera
Kyocera Corp., the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine ceramics. By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of printing devices, printers, copiers, electronic components, solar power generating systems, semiconductor packages, cutting tools and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2011, the company’s net sales totaled 1.27 trillion yen (approx. $15.3 billion).