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The Mannheim Local Division of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) has ordered Kodak to pay a €1.7 million ($1.85 million) penalty for failing to comply with a previous court order in its ongoing dispute with Fujifilm.
Core of the Dispute
The ruling, delivered on January 20, 2026, by Judge Peter Tochtermann, found that Kodak failed to fulfill its “duty to provide information” as required by a first-instance injunction issued in 2025. The dispute involves patents for printing technology, specifically EP 3 511 174, which covers planographic printing plates used in Kodak’s SONORA XTRA-3 products.
Legal Context and “Long-Arm” Jurisdiction
This case has been closely watched by the legal community due to its jurisdictional implications:
- UK Injunction: In July 2025, the court asserted “long-arm jurisdiction” by granting an injunction against Kodak that extended to its activities in the United Kingdom, despite the UK not being a member of the UPC.
- Enforcement Limits: While the court imposed the financial penalty for information failures, it notably rejected automatic enforcement of the injunction in non-EU countries like the UK in this latest decision.
Key Players
- Representing Fujifilm: Kather Augenstein.
- Representing Kodak: Freshfields.
The €1.7 million fine marks a significant escalation in the enforcement phase of the litigation, signaling the UPC’s willingness to impose heavy financial sanctions for non-compliance with its procedural orders.
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