June 30, 2011
Today at 5 we'll find out whether Eastman Kodak will hit the jackpot. At 5pm sharp the U.S. International Trade Commission will issue its ruling on whether Apple and Research in Motion infringed Kodak's patents on in-phone camera technology. If the result goes in Kodak's favor, it could mean a billion dollars in royalties for the beleaguered Yellow Box.
Nobody would scoff at a billion, but it means more to some than others. Apple makes $1 billion in profit on average every week. It takes Research in Motion a good two months to do that. And Kodak? They haven't had a billion dollars in annual pretax income in over ten years. In fact, the entire market value of Kodak as a company is today less than $1 billion. So if they win, this would be a jackpot.
Here's hoping the home team wins one. I have no idea as to the merits of the patent dispute, but would love for our dwindling group of friends and neighbors who still have jobs at Kodak to have something to cheer about, if only for a little while. If they do win, let's hope senior management doesn't squander the cash like they have so many other times over the last 20 years.
GTC
(This article contains the current opinions of the author but not necessarily those of Brighton Securities Corp. The author's opinions are subject to change without notice. This blog post is for informational purposes only. Forecasts, estimates, and certain information contained herein should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. References to specific securities and their issuers are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended and should not be interpreted as recommendations to purchase or sell such securities).