Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/08/16

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Subject: Re: [Leica] OT: North American Blackout
From: Afterswift@aol.com
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 23:11:30 EDT

In a message dated 8/16/03 7:38:14 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
leicaman@sympatico.ca writes:

> Isn't Polaroid bankrupt?
- -----------------------------
Technically yes. But the court ordered the assets of Polaroid sold off to 
other outfits, which continue the Polaroid line. From what I read, Polaroid 
bought up other outfits which forced them into deep debt. Just bad business 
decisions at a time when the industry was changing. Oddly enough, Polaroid jumped 
into digital imaging rather early. They made a very good negative scanner. Even 
now, the Polaroid brand markets lower end digital cameras. Polaroid patents are 
still valuable. Dr. Land would be very sad at his company's descent into 
bankruptcy. But he bailed out at the right time, albeit under a shadow of doubtful 
ethics.
The odd thing is that Polaroid won a patent infringement case against Kodak. 
Kodak had to give up their instant camera line. No great loss in perspective.
But it seems to have been a Pyrrhic victory, despite the $millions Polaroid 
received in the settlement and the continuation of their camera and film 
monopoly. Almost every bureaucracy in the world used Polaroid, ID cameras, from MVB 
to corporate ID systems. That may still be a lucrative business; altho 
methinks digital is taking over. The Polaroid P/N system produced very fine B&W 
negatives reminiscent of earlier processes. They had bad management that didn't 
stay ahead of the curve. 

br   
- --
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Replies: Reply from "Jim McIntyre" <mcintyre@ca.inter.net> ([Leica] non-leica PAW)