Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/11/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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