Eastman Kodak, once one of America’s most illustrious companies, is nearly out for the count. Trading for a dollar a share, its fortunes now rest on patent lawsuits. Here’s Sinead Carew, for Reuters:
Eastman Kodak Co shares lost more than half their value on Friday as the company hired a law firm well-known for bankruptcy cases, triggering speculation that the photography pioneer could file for bankruptcy.
Kodak, which delivered the first consumer camera in 1888, denied it had a bankruptcy plan, saying it was committed to meeting its obligations and is still looking for ways to “monetize” its patent portfolio.
People often suggest that there’s an irony in Kodak having invented digital photography. But its real problem was a sales model based on selling cheap cameras and expensive media. So it wasn’t killed by the digital camera, really. It was killed by the cheap flash memory that came with it.
Kodak denies bankruptcy plan but shares plummet [Reuters]