Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/11/10

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Subject: [Leica] Leica and the patent exchange
From: dstella1 at ameritech.net (Dante Stella)
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:35:21 -0500
References: <C71F2BED.46B3%lug@steveunsworth.co.uk>

Japanese companies like to trade licenses to patents amongst  
themselves - not so much to license them out for money.  This may be  
the real issue.

Even if Leica were a Japanese concern (or owned one), one would wonder  
what intellectual property it has that a mainstream digital camera  
producer might need.  The M mount patent is long gone; whoever makes  
the rangefinder mechanisms for Fuji 6x9s, Mamiya 6/7, Xpan, Hexar RF,  
etc. has already done a design-around; and it's doubtful that the M's  
metering system is patentable.

Kodak may have many virtues for Leica use - such as sensors that  
perform exceptionally well at base ISO - but my suspicion is that  
Leica uses Kodak because Leica is frozen out of the great Japanese  
technology exchange.  And if that's the case, you should pray hard for  
Kodak's financial success (or survival).  And buy lots of Kodak film,  
since that's helping prop up the business.

Dante

On Nov 10, 2009, at 9:40 AM, Steve Unsworth wrote:

> This was discussed in one of the recent videos that were shown  
> around the
> release time of the M9. It was said - I think by Stefan Daniel -  
> that the
> Japanese companies are unwilling to share patents with companies  
> outside of
> Japan.
>
> Steve
>
>
> On 10/11/09 03:58, "mehrdad" <msadat at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> i don't even know why leica makes bodies these days. they can make  
>> lenses
>> for all the other makes  and in the process make a bundle
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information



In reply to: Message from lug at steveunsworth.co.uk (Steve Unsworth) ([Leica] M9 reviewers drawn from the "unwashed masses")