Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/08/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 05:47 PM 8/24/1999 -0400, Dan Cardish wrote: >And could not the decision of the allies to allow Japan optical companies >take German patents be considered in the same manner? In other words, the >patents were war booty to be used by the Allies as they see fit. For >instance, given to Nikon. No. Absolutely not. In fact, the US courts later awarded Zeiss a fairly hefty sum for the intrusions the US made on these designs. The situation is different once a patent enters into the picture. The Agfa processes were geheimgehalten and unpatented, hence open to seizure. The Zeiss materials taken were patented. (The US also seized some unpatented Zeiss stuff, but this was secret and, hence, the Japanese couldn't steal it, though they could copy a patent adequately enough.) Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!