Photography & Cinematography
RED’s Compressed RAW Patent Invalidated in Japan – Nikon Loses Defending the Patent It Once Fought (Cined)
Summary: Japan’s Intellectual Property High Court upheld the invalidation of RED’s compressed RAW patent (JP 5231529), a claim Panasonic successfully challenged at the JPO. Nikon, which inherited the patent through its 2024 RED acquisition, lost the appeal, and the patent is now retroactively void in Japan. The ruling removes a licensing tollbooth in Japan for internal compressed RAW, though US and other international patents remain in force. The patent would have expired in April 2028 anyway, but the decision lands as Nikon pushes into cinema with RED-based products.
Why it matters: For camera manufacturers and post-production workflows, this opens a window for Japanese-market cameras to adopt internal compressed RAW without RED licensing, potentially reshaping codec adoption and competitive dynamics in the region.
Context: RED’s patent family has survived US challenges from Sony and Apple, but Panasonic’s win in Japan marks the first major invalidation. Nikon’s own countersuit against RED in 2022 argued the patents were unenforceable, making its defense of the same patent a strategic reversal.
"The court found the contested claims lacked an inventive step, handing Nikon a defeat over the very patent it attacked in court before buying RED, and denting an intellectual property fortress that had repelled challengers for nearly two decades." — CINED
Commentary: The ruling is a symbolic and practical blow to Nikon’s patent leverage, but the finite window (expiry in 2028) limits its impact. Expect Panasonic to push internal RAW features in Japan without licensing friction, while Nikon may appeal to the Supreme Court to preserve its licensing revenue. The bigger question is whether this emboldens other manufacturers to challenge the US patents, which remain the real fortress.
Date: August 07, 2026 05:22 PM ET
URL: https://www.cined.com/reds-compressed-raw-patent-invalidated-in-japan-nikon-loses-defending-the-patent-it-once-fought/
AI Sentiment Score: Negative (50%)
AI Credibility Score: 10.0/10 — High
Scores and text generated by AI analysis of the source article indicated.Videndum H1 2026 Results – Cine Brands Outperform While the Going-Concern Warning Stays | CineD (Cined)
Summary: Videndum’s H1 2026 results show flat like-for-like revenue of £110.3 million, with the cine-focused Creative Solutions division nearly doubling EBITDA to £3.0 million, while the board retains a going-concern material uncertainty warning. The balance sheet has been repaired via an £85 million refinancing, cutting net debt to £39.3 million, but the underlying adjusted operating loss of £4.6 million and a £15-18 million full-year EBITDA guidance reveal a business still in recovery. Production line failures at the Feltre facility hit the Manfrotto ONE launch, deferring revenue into H2, while the Winter Olympics and FIFA World Cup contributed £5.5 million of the flat top line—events that do not repeat next year.
Why it matters: For cinematographers and production companies, Videndum’s stability determines the future of Teradek, SmallHD, Sachtler, and Anton/Bauer ecosystems—key tools on most professional carts. The going-concern warning and SKU rationalization signal potential supply disruptions and catalog cuts for niche accessories, directly affecting kit planning and purchasing decisions.
Context: Videndum has seen revenue nearly halve since its 2022 peak, and the 2025 full-year results already carried a going-concern warning. The H1 2026 numbers are the first since the refinancing, testing whether balance-sheet repair translates into operating recovery.
"The statutory operating profit of £9.6 million, against a £15.6 million loss last year, looks like a dramatic turnaround, but it is almost entirely accounting: £14.2 million of that came from adjusting items, £16.9 million of which was old revolving credit facility debt written off by the previous lenders. The truer operating picture is the £4.6 million adjusted operating loss and the £13.4 million adjusted loss before tax. This is a business that has stopped bleeding, not one that is making money." — CINED
Commentary: The Creative Solutions division’s near-doubling of EBITDA confirms that premium, defensible cine tools are holding pricing power while commodity products like Manfrotto tripods struggle. The Feltre production failures on the Manfrotto ONE are a second consecutive year of manufacturing capacity, not demand, limiting a flagship product—an operational weakness that undermines the recovery narrative. The R&D spend cut to 6% of revenue is a quiet but critical signal for anyone betting on Teradek or SmallHD innovation cadence. With the going-concern warning intact and SKU rationalization underway, buyers should treat niche accessories as potentially discontinued and plan spares accordingly.
Date: August 05, 2026 06:48 AM ET
URL: https://cined.com/videndum-h1-2026-results-cine-brands-outperform-while-the-going-concern-warning-stays
AI Sentiment Score: Negative (61%)
AI Credibility Score: 10.0/10 — High
Scores and text generated by AI analysis of the source article indicated.A Close Look at a $100M Piece of Photographic History: Machine E (Petapixel)
Summary: Machine E, a six-layer pilot coating machine built by Ciba in the late 1960s and later used by Ilford for Cibachrome and inkjet development, is now being upgraded by ADOX at the Marly, Switzerland site. The machine, which cost the equivalent of $100 million to build, will continue coating photographic film and paper for the analogue market. ADOX plans to invest in drying improvements and cost reductions, signaling a long-term commitment to the machine and to analogue photography.
Why it matters: For the analogue photography industry, Machine E’s continued operation under ADOX preserves a critical coating capability for niche film and paper production, ensuring supply for a market that has seen consolidation and closures. The upgrade investment also signals confidence in the longevity of analogue photography as a commercial segment.
Context: The Marly site was once a major Ilford coating facility, producing Cibachrome and later inkjet media. After Ilford’s receivership in 2013, ADOX gained access to Machine E in 2015, and the site has since become an innovation center.
"A Close Look at a $100M Piece of Photographic History: Machine E In a town close to the French/German language split in Switzerland lies a piece of photographic history that is worth." — PETAPIXEL
Commentary: For the analogue film industry, Machine E is a rare asset: a pilot coater that can handle small runs of film and paper without the cost of a full production line. ADOX’s investment in drying upgrades is a practical move to reduce costs and improve consistency, which could make it a more viable partner for other brands seeking coating capacity. The machine’s 20-inch width and 2,500-meter run limit are constraints, but they align with the niche, low-volume nature of the current analogue market. The fact that ADOX buys in emulsion is a reminder that even the coating step is now part of a fragmented supply chain, where the real bottleneck is often chemistry, not machinery.
Date: August 09, 2026 08:01 AM ET
URL: https://petapixel.com/2026/08/09/a-close-look-at-a-100m-piece-of-photographic-history-machine-e/
AI Sentiment Score: Negative (50%)
AI Credibility Score: 10.0/10 — High
Scores and text generated by AI analysis of the source article indicated.Post ID: deff88f9