Leica Microsystems/Leica Camera

[marknorton]

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It's interesting how quick Leica Microsystems were to distance themselves from Leica Camera AG when the going got tough in 2005...

 

Leica Microsystems One Brand - Three Independent Companies

 

Interesting too that, at the time of writing, Leica Camera do not own the "Leica" trademark but licence it from Leica Microsystems.

[cocker]

Interesting also that they want the kudos of the Leica name built by the camera business but want to distance themselves when it suit them!

[leicanewbie]

I wouldn't read too much into this -- this is common business practice.

 

Large customers typically will avoid doing business with vendors who appear to be in

financial difficulty. They want to know that their supplier will be around for some time

before going into a relationship. Also, investors will want to know that their investments

are safe.

 

The press article is simply meant to underscore that these are three independent

divisions financially, and that any adverse business event ( ie - bankruptcy ) will not impact the other in any way.

 

If it were the other way around, Leica Camera would do the same thing, to assure its

potential retailers and investors, that it is in good financial health, so that business can

continue as usual.

 

 

 

Milan

[robsteve]

 

Interesting too that, at the time of writing, Leica Camera do not own the "Leica" trademark but licence it from Leica Microsystems.

 

It makes sense that the Microscope company still owns the Leica Trade mark. Leica after all was a microscope company before it was a camera company.

[wattsy]

Leica after all was a microscope company before it was a camera company.

 

The Leitz company for sure, but I'm not sure you can say the same about 'Leica'. Isn't the very name Leica a contraction of Leitz Camera or is that popular myth?

[marknorton]

Yes, I think Leica is derived from Leitz Camera. Would be a bit of a bummer if they lost the right to use the "Leica" name.

 

A bit like when Volkswagen bought the Rolls Royce car company from UK Vickers, not realising that the Rolls-Royce brand name still belonged to Rolls-Royce the aero-engine manufacturer who had a cosy deal with BMW. That's why Volkwagen now make and sell Bentley's and BMW Rolls-Royce's. Just shows the importance of Due Diligence when buying a company.

[robsteve]

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Leica is probably the more important of the trade styles to have. I was once told by a Lawyer that specialized in these things that you can't prevent somebody from forming a company with their own last name. In other words if somebody with the last name of Leitz decided to start a camera or microscope company called Leitz, it would be hard for Leica Microsystems to prevent it. On the other hand, Leica is a trade style and not somebody's last name.