Re: Kodak B&W Paper Discontinued

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ryuji Suzuki" <rs@silvergrain.org>
Subject: Re: Kodak B&W Paper Discontinued

> It is unlikely that Kodak bothers to sell their patents when they
> discontinue some products.
- snip -
> Also, buying Kodak patents is not going to enable a small company to
> produce Kodak-quality films. Kodak products depend on not only Kodak
> inventions but also inventions by others and they have mutual
> licensing agreements. Also, patents are required to disclose the best
> mode of implementation of the invention known to the inventor but they
> are very often very short in this aspect, and also they are by no
> means required to disclose the best product design utilizing the
> invention. That is, patent may give you some information but it is not
> enough to make a product. Much of important information is kept
> proprietary.

Most times small companies will lease a patent and proprietary process; and
sometimes the factory in which it's made. This is the case with Lee filters
and the Wratten filters Kodak used to make.

Kodak employed Dr. Wratten, a physicist to measure light waves as they
effect film chemistry. His numbered system was the proprietary system by
which Kodak made their filters. This is a good equation as to what could
happen with their long toned photographic papers.

Factory made film and silver gelatin materials are not going away.

S.
Received on Wed Jul 13 12:01:54 2005