Hi,
a couple of days agao, you asked for a clarification on who is owning which lens mount. So this is the information we got.It is not double checked by lawyers, but we can assume that it is correct:
1. The C/Y mount is very old and any kind of protection rights/ copyrights are not valid anymore. So everybody who would like to, could use this mount now.
2. The N-system mount is Kyocera the owner of the copyright. Also nobody except Koycera knows the Datatransfer between N-lenses and the N-bodies.
This sounds pretty tricky to me. In other words: The continuation of the N-system is only possible, if Kyocera is not blocking it. They have either to "sell" the patents and the know-how to a new cooperation partner of Zeiss, or they have to produce for this cooperation partner in the future this system. This would imply that they really have nothing to do anymore with marketing etc. of the Contax brand. They would act the same ways as zthey do for Leica and all others, for whom the currently produce lenses, do R&D etc.
Now, the question is:
a) is Kyocera to proud to do that?
b) Do they have enough capacity free for this? - Depending on the internal demand for their ressources from other departmennts i.e. mobile phones or other camera-brands i.e. leica, etc.
c) If orders from Leica et alii would disappear (as a scenario), is Kyocera willing to keep up the facilities only for a future cooperation partner of Zeiss or would they close down the whole production for the photo-industry?
We have to bear in mind, that the whole industry is suffering and almost nobody makes money at the moment. Worst case, a few well known brands will disappear from the market over the next few years. If that is the case, this will also influence Kyoceras ability to work coist efficiently in this industry as a pure producer for others.
Many question marks, I would say - more than I like to have...
a couple of days agao, you asked for a clarification on who is owning which lens mount. So this is the information we got.It is not double checked by lawyers, but we can assume that it is correct:
1. The C/Y mount is very old and any kind of protection rights/ copyrights are not valid anymore. So everybody who would like to, could use this mount now.
2. The N-system mount is Kyocera the owner of the copyright. Also nobody except Koycera knows the Datatransfer between N-lenses and the N-bodies.
This sounds pretty tricky to me. In other words: The continuation of the N-system is only possible, if Kyocera is not blocking it. They have either to "sell" the patents and the know-how to a new cooperation partner of Zeiss, or they have to produce for this cooperation partner in the future this system. This would imply that they really have nothing to do anymore with marketing etc. of the Contax brand. They would act the same ways as zthey do for Leica and all others, for whom the currently produce lenses, do R&D etc.
Now, the question is:
a) is Kyocera to proud to do that?
b) Do they have enough capacity free for this? - Depending on the internal demand for their ressources from other departmennts i.e. mobile phones or other camera-brands i.e. leica, etc.
c) If orders from Leica et alii would disappear (as a scenario), is Kyocera willing to keep up the facilities only for a future cooperation partner of Zeiss or would they close down the whole production for the photo-industry?
We have to bear in mind, that the whole industry is suffering and almost nobody makes money at the moment. Worst case, a few well known brands will disappear from the market over the next few years. If that is the case, this will also influence Kyoceras ability to work coist efficiently in this industry as a pure producer for others.
Many question marks, I would say - more than I like to have...