Find the right transferee for patents by Ego patent citation network: Evidence from Kodak

When a reforming technology company holding high valuable intellectual property tries to solve financial struggle by transferring patents, he needs to know who the right transferee is. Kodak was selected as research target. Ego patent citation network is formed by its core technology, `digital image´, as an ego center. This study adopts knowledge redundancy analysis to identify the position of company in two-dimensional diagram of technology knowledge status and technology knowledge reliability. Moreover, this study selected nine important companies in order to understand the correlation of indicator variance with Kodak before and after patent transference. The results show: (a) The digital mobile communication device industry is most potential for Kodak to release digital image technology, (b) During the process of Kodak´s reformation, Apple is the most suitable company for Kodak to release patent. (c) Apple´s technology knowledge status increases after patents transference, but it does not shake the leadership of Kodak. (d) From the view of Kodak after patent release, Apple´s common internal knowledge and common external knowledge with Kodak increase significantly.