Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/02/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]OK. I concede using the word "Germany" on Cosina made Voigtlander products is bad. I have a few "Cosina" brand versions of available "Voigtlander" products including the 107-SW which is the Bessa-L, so I assume Cosina does not have unlimited rights to the Voigtlander name else they would use it on everything including existing cheap zooms if they were truly evil. Imagine a "Voigtlander" 35-70/2.8 APO zoom in R mount! I doubt very much in any license agreement the brand or trademark owner doesn't retain some control over how the brand is used and marketed. Well, regardless of who is exploiting what at this very moment, I am glad the Voigtlander brand is revived with a fine line of lenses and who know what will happen to it in the future. Perhaps now that the brand has increased in value some other company will be interested. I am just thinking about how General Motors is killing off the Oldsmobile. Will the next generation know the Oldsmobile heritage? I'd rather see Cosina start making Oldsmobiles than have the brand disappear :^[ Jem Kime wrote: > Ray, > I think I met 'Mr Voigtlander' in Germany at Photokina, his name is Jurgen > Sprung and, rather poetically I thought, he worked for Voigtlander many > years ago. His card says 'vertriebsleiter' which might clarify exactly what > his position is, but within Ringfoto, the company who bought the rights to > the Voigtlander brandname, he is charge of Voigtlander. > Certainly his concern for the Voigtlander brand couldn't have been placed > in better hands and I would consider that Ringfoto would be most pleased > with the results of their relationship with Cosina. I'm unaware of what > Cosina would pay them for the license to use the Voigtlander brandname but > I suspect that when the time comes fro renegotiation they will be even > happier! > > I think the use of the designation, 'Voigtlander, Germany' is Cosina taking > as much as they can from their license. Patently the lenses are not made > there but Voigtlander orignated there, so therefore, 'Voigtlander, Germany' > is where Voigtlander were, and still are, in as much as a name can be > anywhere! Cosina are just maximising what they can get out of buying the > right to use the name, as any business would. Misleading to none but the > extremely naive. > > Talking about the success of the Voigtlander to others yesterday at 'Focus' > I was left with the impression that predominant sales are in Europe and the > US distribution is less than satisfactory. Can U.S. luggers clarify who > imports the brand and what their presence is on the marketing scene? > > Jem > -----Original Message----- > From: ray tai [SMTP:razerx@netvigator.com] > Sent: 27 February 2001 15:54 > > Cosina may not have connections to Germany (as far as I can assume) but the > Voigtlander brand certainly does and this is what matters. I don't know > the > current legal status of the Voigtlander brand and who owns the various > intellectual property rights but you can be sure that whoever it is will > not let > its goodwill diminish out of history, passion or profit. > > Anyway I think we are talking about different things. Perhaps it is in > poor > taste to include "Germany" in the packaging but don't assume it was all > Cosina's > doing. > > Ray