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Re: [ARSCLIST] Ampex & Sticky Shed Syndrome
Steve,
I recently found this list, compiled from information reported by members of
the Ampex Mailing List:
http://www.recordist.com/ampex/docs/misc/sticky-shed.html
Regards
Clare Gilliam
British Library Sound Archive
-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Green [mailto:sgreen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 15 December 2004 17:38
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Ampex & Sticky Shed Syndrome
Thread was: and what about that patent?
Has anyone compiled a definitive list of tape manufacturers and tape types
for which bonafide cases of Sticky Shed Syndrome have turned up?
It's my understanding that Ampex 406 was one of the major problematic tapes,
but I've also heard that other brands and types of tape have also been found
with SSS. If the main cause was a problematic formula developed by Ampex,
why would other brands also suffer? Did some companies repackage Ampex tape
under other names? Did they obtain rights to use the formula in
manufacturing their own tape?
It would be great to see a list of known brands exhibiting SSS. In the early
1990s, I encountered some way serious Sticky Shed on Shamrock reels from the
1970s. They were in a humid climate (Kentucky), which leads me to ask
whether Sticky Shed is believed to be a manufacturing problem or a climate
problem or a combination of the two?
Can anyone elaborate for the List?
Thanks!
Steve Green
Western Folklife Center
*******
On Dec 15, 2004, at 8:20 AM, David Seubert wrote:
> While legally Ampex could enforce this patent, ethically and
> practically they could not. They created a defective product and it
> was their responsibility to find a solution. I suspect that this
> patent was filed without ever intending to enforce it, knowing that it
> would be a customer relations disaster to try to profit from their
> mistake. At least I hope that was their intent. Ten years later it's
> hard to say what their lawyers and accounts might think, but frankly,
> I don't care.
>
> I'm surprised that there has never been any legal action against Ampex
> for the sticky-shed problem. While nobody has died from their
> defective product, it still has caused millions of dollars in damage
> to their customers. Enforcing this patent would be a bit like Merck
> selling heart attack medicine to patients who took Vioxx. Ampex took
> some responsibility for the mistake and developed a solution and made
> the information available, while not profiting from the solution. For
> that they are to be commended, but it still doesn't change the fact
> that their product was defective. Regardless of who "owns" this
> technique, I will continue to bake tapes with no remorse and I think
> others should do the same.
>
> David Seubert
> UCSB
>
>
> On Tuesday, December 14, 2004, at 06:37 PM, James Lindner wrote:
>
>> FYI a follow up on articles regarding Ampex and Patent enforcement.
>>
>> http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/1130sonytopa.html
>>
>> http://www.forbes.com/associatedpress/feeds/ap/2004/11/29/
>> ap1678714.html
>>
>> And this from the "Chairman's Letter" in the 2003 annual report
>>
>> Snip..." The greatest contributor to Ampex's 17.2% increase in
>> overall revenues and to the improved operating profits in 2003 was
>> income from our licensing portfolio of digital imaging patents. As I
>> forecasted in last
>> year's letter, royalty income improved significantly, rising to $10.1
>> million from $4.0 million in the previous year. Some of the increase
>> resulted from payments by licensees that were actually due to us in
>> earlier
>> periods, but ongoing royalties are now running at a rate significantly
>> greater than in 2002. Encouragingly, substantially all of our
>> royalties now
>> come from digital video recorders and camcorders rather than from
>> analog
>> products that are now largely obsolete.
>>
>> As discussed in previous annual reports, licensing income has tended
>> to be volatile and difficult to forecast. In 2003 our royalty income
>> was solely
>> generated by digital videotape recorders and camcorders. Starting two
>> years
>> ago we have been moving aggressively to broaden the base of royalties
>> to
>> include additional areas of consumer electronics where we believe our
>> patented technology is being used. These markets include DVD recorders
>> and
>> players, digital still cameras and digital television receivers, each
>> of
>> which represents large future market opportunities.
>>
>> I am pleased to report that, after the year end, we negotiated our
>> first license for DVD recorders, which we expect to sign shortly.
>> This new licensee, a multi-billion dollar manufacturer of consumer
>> electronic products based in Japan, has informed us that they expect
>> to begin production later this year of certain new products that will
>> use our patents. Since these products have not yet been marketed, it
>> is not possible
>> to forecast the revenue impact on Ampex this year, but is an
>> indication that
>> developments in the DVD market may be moving favorably for us.
>>
>> At the end of 2002, we had notified 17 manufacturers of digital still
>> cameras of their potential infringement of our patents and, as of
>> today, we believe we have put substantially all major manufacturers
>> on notice.We are
>> currently in advanced negotiations for our first patent license in the
>> digital still camera field with one of the largest manufacturers in
>> this
>> market, but we are at present far apart on financial terms. While we
>> hope to
>> arrive at a satisfactory agreement it is reasonably likely that, as I
>> mentioned in last year's letter, litigation will become necessary. We
>> will,
>> of course, announce developments in this situation as they occur.
>>
>> There are several negotiations under way with other potential
>> licensees, not just digital still cameras but also other products
>> that we believe to be
>> infringing our patents. It is too early to say what impact, if any,
>> these
>> negotiations will have in 2004. However, Ampex has been in the
>> licensing
>> business for more than 30 years and our patent portfolio is the result
>> of
>> substantial and forward-looking investments in research and
>> development of
>> digital imaging technology over many years. An expanded licensing
>> program
>> has the potential to produce a dramatic change in Ampex's financial
>> outlook
>> and our strategy is to pursue these opportunities aggressively.
>>
>> As we have said in previous letters, our preference is to avoid the
>> substantial expenses that patent lawsuits involve. However, if we do
>> have to litigate, our recent financial performance has substantially
>> improved our
>> ability to do so. The management team has done an excellent job of
>> cash
>> generation and our liquid resources should be more than adequate for
>> any
>> litigation costs that can currently be foreseen." Snip....
>>
>> Clearly Ampex is now in the patent enforcement business. 'Nuff said
>> on this topic.
>>
>> jim
>>
>> *
>> Jim Lindner
>> *
>> Media Matters, LLC
>> *
>> Email: jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> *
>> Address: 500 West 37th Street, 1st FL
>> New York, N.Y. 10018
>> *
>> eFax (646) 349-4475
>> *
>> Mobile: (917) 945-2662
>> *
>> www.media-matters.net
>>
>
>
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