A Triumph of Genius: Edwin Land, Polaroid, and the Kodak Patent War
644
A Triumph of Genius: Edwin Land, Polaroid, and the Kodak Patent War
644eBook
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Overview
One man Steve Jobs outspokenly admired was Edwin Land, the creator of Polaroid’s instant photography. Jobs revered Land as "a national treasure," and modeled much of his career after his. Neither had a college degree, but both men built highly successful, innovative organizations. Both were perfectionists, micro-managers with fanatic attention to detail, consummate showmen and marketers. In many ways, Edwin Land was the original Steve Jobs.
This riveting biography from the American Bar Association, visits the spectacular life of Edwin Land, breakthrough inventor. At the time of his death, he stood third on the list of our most prolific inventors, behind only Thomas Edison and one of Edison’s colleagues. Land’s most famous achievement of course, was the creation of a type of film and camera that could produce a photographic print an instant after the picture was taken. The book takes you behind the scenes of his discoveries, his triumphs, and defeats. This book presents an unprecedented look at a reclusive genius.
You'll learn details of Land’s involvement over four decades with top-secret U.S. military intelligence efforts during World War II and through the Cold War in the service of seven American presidents. Additionally, you'll thrill to the compelling first-hand look at perhaps our nation’s most important legal battles over intellectual property - Kodak versus Polaroid. This corporate and legal struggle is a story of almost operatic dimension. What began as a cooperative and collegial relationship ended in Kodak's betrayal. The conflict led to an epic legal battle, a dramatic event for Land who, from the witness stand, personally starred in a compelling courtroom drama.
More than a simple biography, this fascinating book details the most significant patent litigation of the 20th century over the one-step photography technology developed by Polaroid and its founder, Dr. Edwin H. Land. It's a biographical legal thriller that is not to be missed!
"Edwin Land was a multi-faceted genius, and his Polaroid was a quintessential American success story. With great skill, Ron Fierstein tells the full story of the company’s epic court battle with Kodak for the first time - a sobering tale with many lessons for 21st-century entrepreneurs."
- Harry McCracken, Technology Editor, Fast Company magazine
About the Author
Ronald K. Fierstein was a young lawyer on the team of litigators from the prestigious patent law firm of Fish & Neave representing Polaroid in its epic patent battle with Eastman Kodak over instant photography technology. He had the unique experience of working closely with Polaroid’s two main witnesses, Dr. Edwin Land and Howard Rogers, during the discovery phase of the litigation and then throughout the dramatic federal court trial in Boston. After leaving the practice of law in the early 1980s, he has enjoyed a long and successful career in the entertainment industry, representing artists in the recording (Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin Carpenter) and theater (Harvey Fierstein) industries. Ron lives with his wife in Chappaqua, NY, and spends as much time as he can at their second home on the beautiful island of North Hero, VT. They have two grown sons.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781627227704 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Ankerwycke |
| Publication date: | 02/16/2015 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 644 |
| File size: | 49 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Since leaving the practice of law in the early 1980s, he has enjoyed a long and successful career in the entertainment industry, representing artists in the recording (Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, among others) and theater (Harvey Fierstein) industries. He is a co-producer of the current Broadway hit, Kinky Boots.
Ron lives with his wife in Chappaqua, NY, and spends as much time as he can at their second home on the beautiful island of North Hero, VT. They have two grown sons.
Table of Contents
Prologue vii
Landisms ix
Chapter 1 A Very Special Young Man 1
Chapter 2 Polaroid Is Born 19
Chapter 3 One-Step Photography 39
Chapter 4 A Consumer Curiosity? 57
Chapter 5 Color 79
Chapter 6 Absolute One-Step Photography 105
Chapter 7 The Big Push-The Bigger Divide 121
Chapter 8 Aladdin Emerges 147
Chapter 9 The Coming Storm 171
Chapter 10 A Fight for Survival 197
Chapter 11 Kodak's new 219
Chapter 12 The Battle Is Joined 235
Chapter 13 Early Skirmishes in Discovery 251
Chapter 14 Searching for the Facts 265
Chapter 15 Kodak s Big Assault 275
Chapter 16 Land Joins the Fray 289
Chapter 17 The Long, Slow Road to the Courthouse 303
Chapter 18 The Final Turn 319
Chapter 19 Over the Precipice 333
Chapter 20 Land's Day in Court 347
Chapter 21 The Cross-Examination 369
Chapter 22 After the Main Event 389
Chapter 23 Kodak's Defense 403
Chapter 24 The Battle of the Experts 421
Chapter 25 The Waiting Game 441
Chapter 26 Victory at Last 465
Chapter 27 The Hammer Falls Harder 479
Chapter 28 Aftermath 501
Chapter 29 Epilogue 515
Acknowledgments 535
Dedication 539
Endnotes 541
Index 613