----- Original Message ----- From: "William Robb" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
(snip) > This is why I am giving colour print film 5 years before it mostly goes > away. > > William Robb > > Don't a lot of countries have a ten year support rule for newly sold products? I thought that was the reason the LX is still fully serviced by Pentax but M and A series camera bodies are no longer serviced by them. It wouldn't be hard for a clever legal mind to argue that "support" also means the provision of consumables that the product requires. I notice that Fuji and Kodak still sell film cameras, so I guess that commits them to selling film for ten more years at least. But of those two companies, only Fuji sells pro-grade film cameras, so perhaps only Fuji has any obligation either legal or moral to keep pro-grade film on the shelves. Remember in the late 1970s when Kodak was forced to cease selling instant film-packs and Ektaflex (correct name?) instant enlarging paper, because they'd infringed Polaroid's patents. They were also obliged to buy back all the hardware that had been sold, because obviously they were unable to continue support of those products with consumables. But at other times when a product has failed (e.g. Disc) or demand for it has dried up (e.g. 110 Instamatic) they've let the consumables trickle onto the shelves for the required period at least, so no legal liability to the owners of orphaned cameras. When Kodak and Fuji both withdraw film cameras from sale is when I'll begin stockpiling film. regards, Anthony Farr
