Japanese Patent Office invalidates Red's key Raw video patent after Panasonic challenge

Patent Invalidation by Japanese Court

The Japanese Patent Office has ruled one of Red's primary Raw video patents invalid. This decision came after a challenge was filed by Panasonic, targeting a patent originally filed in the US in 2008.

Grounds for Invalidation

The court determined that many of the claims within the patent, which describes a high-resolution video camera compressing its Raw data, would have been apparent to someone with expertise in the field and knowledge of existing technologies at the time of filing. This patent has been central to past legal disputes involving companies like Sony and Apple.

Nikon's Role and Acquisition of Red

Nikon's video subsidiary was in the position of defending this patent, despite Nikon itself having previously argued its invalidity. Nikon resolved its own dispute with Red by acquiring the company, integrating Red's cinema camera and Raw knowledge into recent Nikon models.

Potential Industry Impact

The full impact of this patent's invalidation is uncertain. Many major camera manufacturers, including Canon, Panasonic, Sony, and Blackmagic Design, now offer cameras with internal Raw video capture. One potential consequence could be the abolition of license fees reportedly paid to Red by users of Apple's ProRes RAW codec. However, Red's transition from a privately held company to being part of Nikon makes it difficult to assess the financial significance of these fees, and any cost reductions may not necessarily be passed on to consumers.