| February 14, 2001 |
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| Strategic Alliance with Kodak in the Area of Digital Camera Technology |
| - Olympus and Kodak Agreed on Cross Licensing Digital Camera Technologies - |
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| Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (President: Masatoshi Kishimoto) and Eastman Kodak Company (Chairman, President and CEO: Daniel A. Carp) have reached an agreement to conclude a cross-licensing contract in the field of digital camera technology to drive future growth in the digital Imaging market. |
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| Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Olympus) and Eastman Kodak Company (hereinafter referred to as Kodak) have come to the agreement to conclude a comprehensive cross-licensing contract in the field of the digital camera technology. Both parties are pleased to form a strategic alliance to expand the digital camera and digital imaging industry and to explore opportunities for broader range of consumers to experience the convenience of digital imaging products. |
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| Kodak has taken a progressive approach to the research and development of digital cameras at an early stage, and many of their developments - not only camera itself as a hardware, but also various peripheral technologies such as on-line photo printing services and digital image processing related technologies, were patented. |
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| On the other hand, Olympus started the various researches of digital image such as the study of an image pickup in the early stage. Since Olympus released its first digital camera with high resolution CCD (CAMEDIA C-800L) for the consumer market in 1996, high image quality digital cameras with over megapixel have been launched every year. As a leading company in the industry, it has not only opened up new possibilities for the consumers to use digital cameras, but has also developed various technologies in the fields of digital camera components, image processing, optical technologies and printer. |
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Olympus is also the most active company to promote the concept of "Personal Printing" since they first brought dye-sublimation processing home printer to the market in 1996. Olympus has been leading the consumer digital camera market world wide with its cameras as input hardware and printers as key output hardware.
This strategic alliance will certainly strengthen both parties, combining digital cameras and photo printing; personal printing at home, and on-line printing in the digital environment. This will bring chances for even greater number of consumers to enjoy the convenience in handling digital images. In the future, Olympus and Kodak will strive for the proactive alliance activities in consideration of complementary supply of lens and CCD components or OEM supply of digital cameras. |
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| Olympus will make continuous efforts to expand the market of digital imaging industry by developing and offering products and services with innovative values. |
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*Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. was changed to OLYMPUS CORPORATION as of October 1, 2003.
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