[Leica] Why a digital M

[red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone)]

This is done all the time.....  You get the change made, and pay for that
change, in return for a lead time on use of the code.....  Or you make a
deal to get source code.

Kodak is supplying a chip.  With use of that chip is some proprietary
knowledge that you must give to the customer to get him to use the chip.  It
is licensed ( and usually is included in the purchase price of the chip.)
However, that knowledge is hardly the secret ingredient that I am talking
about.  It is the after image capture preprocessing software that is of
value and differentiates the users of the chip in their system.  The
implementation of the preprocessing algorithms is the key to the proprietary
and improved firmware/software/whatever you wish to call it-ware.....

Frank Filippone
red735i@earthlink.net