Eastman Kodak Co. can proceed with the sale of a key digital imaging patent, a bankruptcy judge ruled yesterday, saying that Apple Inc. waited too long to raise a claim of infringement, Reuters reported yesterday. Bankruptcy Judge Allan Gropper approved the sale of the '218 patent, which Kodak considers one of the most important of the more than 1,100 patents it hopes to sell this month. Judge Gropper also cleared the way for Kodak to sell a second patent Apple had disputed, known as the '335 patent. He said that it was premature to give Kodak the right to sell several other patents, saying that he needed more information to decide the companies' respective rights.
