Hi Len and all,
> Does that mean that Pentax is not allowed to have the
> parts? Are they considered to be operating illegally if
> they keep parts available for more than ten years?
No, that's not the case.
> Or, does it mean that they have no responsibility to
> have parts available after ten years? And, therefore,
> get to refuse to service our cameras, thereby forcing us
> to buy newer models?
So, within ten years after the end of the production, they
MUST keep spare parts for the product. After that, while
they have the parts in stock, they'll be willing to
provide service.
In Japan, this is the case with "higher end" models. (For
consumer products, it is seven years or so, I suppose.)
> Since Pentax just sold a mew batch of LX'es, does that
> mean that they are "on the hook" to service all of the
> LX'es for ten more years?
Yes, that's right. Pentax should keep the spare parts for
an LX at least until 2011.
> I wonder what they do with the unused parts? Sell them
> to whomever wants them? Or do they use them for landfill?
As I wrote above, as long as they have parts in stock, they
will serve us.
> Too bad there aren't third-party parts manufacturers for
> camera parts, as there are for automobiles.
>
> The auto parts made by third-party companies may not be
> as good as OEM parts but they are much better than no
> parts at all.
Maybe the patent problem? Anyway, in the case of the LX,
Pentax claims that the main reason for stopping its
production is difficulty in securing the parts, especially
electronic ones. After considering the ten years, they had
to decide to stop producing.
Sincerely,
****************************
Take Ueda, Osaka, Japan
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://members.tripod.co.jp/hayatama/photo/
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